Kim Clijsters Sets Up Final Clash With Li

Kim Clijsters kept her hopes of a second successive grand Slam title alive as she saw off second seed Vera Zvonareva for a spot in the Australian Open final.

It was a re-match of the 2010 U.S. Open final but this time Clijsters was just two strong for Zvonareva as she dropped just six games on her way to a straight sets victory.

Clijsters did drop her serve in the opening game of the match but she soon his back to get the set back on level terms.

A second break saw her open up a 5-3 lead and she served out the set with minimum fuss. The Belgian continued her aggressive approach into the second as two more breaks of the Zvonareva serve followed.

This was enough to seal the second set and the match as Zvonareva had no reply to Clijsters' powerful match play.

After just seventy three minutes Clijsters had wrapped up an impressive 6-3 6-3 victory and booked her place in Saturday's final.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match Clijsters said: "I tried really hard on every point and I knew I had to because Vera is a tough player.

"I knew I had to be on top of my game and lift my level from the other matches I have played here so far.
 
"I tried to rise to the occasion, I have been on tour a long time, played a lot of matches, not always won them but even if you lose you learn from them.

"I tried to dictate the points and move around well, make my opponent play one extra shot. Even if you are not playing your best you have to fight to be the last one standing."

She will now face Li Na who made history on the Rod Laver Arena as she became the first Chinese woman to reach a Grand Slam finally when she defeated world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

Li's nerves seemed to get the better of her in the opening set as Wozniacki broke in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead. And while Li threatened to get the break back in the next game the world number one snuffed out any danger and went on to claim the set.

Wozniacki broke early in the second and it looked like Li's impressive run of ten games unbeaten was going to come to an end. Li broke back as Wozniacki served for the set at 5-4  before breaking again to take the match into a third and deciding set.

The pair traded breaks in the early part of the third set before breaking each other again in the sixth and seventh game as neither player could take advantage of their breakthrough.

But it was Li who kept her focus as she broke Wozniacki, who is still looking to win her first Grand Slam title, before serving out the match to take her place in the final.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw