ISTANBUL — Maria Sharapova set up a blockbuster WTA Championships final against Serena Williams Saturday with a crushing 6-4, 6-2 win over world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka. Olympic, Wimbledon and US Open champion Williams had earlier eased into Sunday's title match with a 6-2, 6-1 success against an exhausted Agnieszka Radwanska in a repeat of this summer's All England Club final. “I have lost to Victoria a few times so I was happy to get the chance to play against her,” said Sharapova. “Against the world No. 1, you have to run down every ball. She's No. 1 for a reason so I had to be ready for every shot.” Not many people expected Sharapova to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open on her least favored clay court surface in June. And after losing four times out of five to Azarenka this year, a semifinal win indoors in Istanbul did not seem likely either. But the Russian designed sensibly bold tactics to frustrate the heavy-hitting Belarusian, stuck to them bravely, and executed them excellently. Azarenka, who had secured the year-end top ranking the day before with her win over Li Na, was unexpectedly subdued —perhaps hindered by a strained right thigh which she grasped several times. While Radwanska had had a record-breaking three-and-a-half hour match against Sara Errani the night before, Serena had had a rest day and the statistics showed that the underdog had already run three times as far as the former champion to get to the semifinals. Not surprisingly Radwanska had admitted that it would be an achievement “just to get to the court in one piece.” “I really wanted to run, but my legs didn't,” Radwanska admitted. Federer eyes Swiss title In Switzerland, Roger Federer beat Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 7-5, 6-4 in the Swiss Indoors semifinals Saturday, and will play Juan Martin del Potro in the final. Federer, chasing his sixth title in seven years at his hometown event, fired 10 aces and never allowed 101st-ranked Mathieu a break point chance. Earlier Saturday, second-seeded Del Potro eased to a 6-2, 6-2 win over third-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet. The Argentine ended a 67-minute effort with four straight aces as he completed a demolition of the third seed at the St Jakobshalle. Sunday's final is a rematch of their epic London Olympics semifinal Center Court at Wimbledon in August. Federer won 19-17 in the decisive third set. Federer has a 13-2 career record against Del Potro, though one of the Argentinian's victories came in the 2009 US Open final. Ferrer ousts Dodig In Spain, top-seeded David Ferrer reached the Valencia Open final for a third time after defeating Ivan Dodig of Croatia 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 Saturday. Ferrer, the local favorite, awaited the other semifinal winner between Jurgen Melzer and Alexandr Dolgopolov. Ferrer now has a chance Sunday to add the tournament at the City of Arts and Sciences to his five titles this season. — Agencies
