Tennis

Sharapova and Ivanovic reach Brisbane final

---

---

Russia's Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic of Serbia won their semi-finals at the Brisbane International on Friday to set up a highly-anticipated showdown in the lead-up to this month's Australian Open.

Sharapova beat the talented Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-3 to reach the final without dropping a set while Ivanovic battled her way to a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory over American Varvara Lepchenko.

Sharapova beat Ivanovic in the 2008 Australian Open final and both women are in devastating form heading towards the first Grand Slam of the season, starting in Melbourne on January 19.

Sharapova has dropped just nine games in her three matches to get to the final and showed no mercy against Svitolina, a rising star who won the 2010 junior French Open, as she reached her 56th WTA final.

Top Stories

• 

  Why has the longest golf drive record not been broken?

  ---

  The record for the longest golf drive has stood unbeaten for 35 years and was achieved with a wooden club, so have three decades ...

• 

  Take a close look at the greatest football teams on earth: the FIFA World Cup champions.

  ---

  The World Cup, also known as the Mundial or Copa do Mundo, has been held 19 times since it inaugural tournament in 1930.

• 

  Liverpool MUST find a world-class Gerrard replacement

  ---

  The word crisis seems to have haunted Liverpool through much of their season.From the moment it became apparent Luis Suarez was leaving, it the club has been in a state...

• 

  Sachin Tendulkar's farewell speech full text: 'No more matches in my life'

  ---

  All my friends, settle down, let me talk, I will get more and more emotional. My life — between 22 yards for 24 years ..