Rough diamond Sharapova shines

SEMI-FINALS: She brought her hand across her mouth, as any adolescent would accepting an ovation from 14,000 Centre Court fans, and looked up to her father and coach writes Johnny Watterson at Wimbledon

A kid who didn't know what to do, startled and shaken to reality after an hour and 53 minutes in which she knew nothing of the world other than the yellow ball on her racquet.

A rough diamond at the beginning of these two weeks, the 17-year-old polished her game to the gem it was yesterday as she fought back from a set down to overturn the 1999 champion, Lindsay Davenport, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. In doing so, Maria Sharapova pushed the American closer to the end of her career and stepped forward in her own.

She will meet the twice-Wimbledon-champion Serena Williams in the final. Williams spent the best part of yesterday afternoon and evening breaking down the beautifully constructed game of Amelie Mauresmo in a compelling match that lasted for two hours 27 minutes, Williams dropping the first set in a tie-break before fighting back into the match, finally winning 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 6-4.

Already, Sharapova has dispelled the growing myths that threatened to engulf her, none of them her own making. Easy media angles questioned the sincerity of the young player and compared her to the most famously blonde-haired wasted talent from Russia, Anna Kournikova, who reached the semi-finals here in 1997 as a 16-year-old before being consumed by the opportunity of an easier dollar in modelling work.

Having left Siberia as a seven-year-old, Sharapova arrived in Bradenton, Florida, with her father and $700 in their pockets and at nine she joined the Nick Bollettieri tennis factory. That's when the yellow ball became central to her being. Financial constraints ensured she would be separated from her mother for two years. It was childhood, tennis style. Bollettieri race-developed her and geared her game up to track standard.

"Who has an opportunity in life as I do right now at the age I am?" she replied when asked about the pressure and the family sacrifices. "Hey, if I feel I've too much pressure I'll leave. I mean I'm 17 years old. What do I have to lose in this world?"

Only Martina Hingis, at 16 years of age, has been a younger female Wimbledon finalist in the open era. The Swiss former world number one, a victim of a body that couldn't take the physical stress, carried on to defeat Jana Novotna in the 1997 final.

For Davenport, the questions that faced Tim Henman were dusted down and recycled. Last chance? Retirement? Missed opportunity? The 28-year-old Davenport replied with candour: "I'd be surprised if I was back. The wins don't get me as excited anymore. On the flip side the losses don't hurt as much."

Certainly her competitive light has dimmed. But yesterday, the hurt would have been considerable. Racing to the first set 6-2, Davenport controlled the match and was credibly looking to put her feet up within the hour. Her return and heavy serve ensured Sharapova was left scrambling around at the fringes of the court.

Like a whipped dog, the youngster didn't know any better and she just kept coming back. A rain delay was spent reading OK magazine but Sharapova emerged as a risk-taker in the second set.

But Davenport held steady and earned break points at 4-4 and 5-5, Sharapova crucially keeping her head and forcing the tie-break that gave her equal footing.

From there, the Russian's confidence mushroomed as Davenport's serving level decreased. Picking her off on anything short of length, Davenport's determination visibly drained away in the third set, her second serve giving a dismal 23-per-cent return.

Finally, the older player collapsed under the weight and momentum of the younger girl, the third set ending 6-1.

"It's a shock. I don't think I've gotten it in my system yet. I don't know how to react," said Sharapova. "It's amazing. I never expected it to happen so early in my life."

Facing Williams, Sharapova may want to look at the first set the American played against Amelie Mauresmo, how the 24-year-old French woman matched her younger opponent for strength and athleticism.

Mauresmo played a compelling match against the reigning champion but her robust, balletic game just fell short in trying to break the Williams stranglehold. Just as Lleyton Hewitt, in patches, met the challenge of Roger Federer and fell on big points, so, too, did Mauresmo find the level to rattle Williams before the American turned it.

"I said just give it your all just fight. So I started fighting for everything," said Williams.

A tie-break swung the first set for Mauresmo in 57 minutes, the second set taking three minutes longer, Williams turning it on a service break for 7-5 although Mauresmo took the early initiave by going a break up.

Despite the treatment being received for a back injury, Mauresmo kept her level high, with just fractions determining the points. Once more it fell Williams's way as she converted one of two match points to earn herself a third successive final.

"This match, it was just a couple of points here and there," said Mauresmo. "A break up in the second set and I couldn't hold my serve. It's a shame I couldn't hold. But that's how it went. I still had chances here and there. It's just a few points. That's it. It was a great match. The only bad thing for me was that I lost."