Sharapova to Take on Venus at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England – Maria Sharapova upset two-time champion Serena Williams at Wimbledon last year for her first Grand Slam title. In Thursday’s semifinals – which has been delayed by rain – the 18-year-old Sharapova faces another two-time winner – Serena’s big sister Venus. In the other semifinal, top-ranked Lindsay Davenport plays Amelie Mauresmo.

“She has a big game, is a great fighter. So every time we play we always have really tough matches,” said Sharapova, who has won 22 straight matches on grass and is 2-0 against Venus Williams.

“The main thing is, she’s a good athlete, she gets a lot of balls back and she’s very tough. So it’s just mentally … you’ve got to be ready for an extra ball.”

Neither Sharapova nor Williams has dropped a set through five matches at the All England Club, but Williams was taken to a 22-point tiebreaker by French Open finalist Mary Pierce in the quarterfinals.

The 2000 and ’01 champion said that may help her against Sharapova.

“They’re both two hard hitters,” Williams said. “(Sharapova) definitely strikes the ball well, is a very determined player.”

That determination combined with an extra year of experience is key for Sharapova.

“I feel like I’m a much more experienced player this year,” Sharapova said. “In certain situations last year I would have gone for my shots. This year I feel like I’ve been in this situation before and I feel like I know what to do.”

And to beat Williams, Sharapova says she needs to stay focused.

“The main thing is just to be mentally tough. It’s going to be a big battle, and that’s all. You’ve just got to fight,” Sharapova said.

Sharapova has won three titles this season and reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and the quarterfinals at the French Open.

“Last year I was just thrilled to be in the semifinals. And this year I’m sort of expecting myself to be in the second week,” said Sharapova, who is expected to take over the No. 1 ranking from Davenport later this year.

But Davenport, who is guaranteed of staying in the top spot next week because of her win over Kim Clijsters in the fourth round, is looking for her second Wimbledon title. The 29-year-old American, who is playing at Wimbledon for the 12th time, won the championship in 1999 and reached the final the next year.

“I’m really excited to have another opportunity, be able to go out there and try yet again to get to the finals and go farther in a Grand Slam,” said Davenport, who considered retirement after losing to Sharapova in last year’s Wimbledon semifinals.

“I had such great opportunities last year, and it didn’t quite work out for me. But to come back again a year later and be in the same position is pretty rewarding,” added Davenport, who is 9-3 against Mauresmo.

The third-seeded Frenchwoman, who has reached the final four at Wimbledon three times but is still looking for her first Grand Slam title, lost to Serena Williams in the semis last year.

“Last year, I had maybe two or three key moments (that) I dropped down a little bit the intensity. (That) probably made the difference,” Mauresmo said. “We’ll see how it goes this year.”