Sharapova Stuns Davenport En Route to Final

The bandwagon gathering pace alongside Russian sensation Maria Sharapova could find itself carrying a considerably increased bulk, as the 17-year-old stayed solid to dispense with fifth seed Lindsay Davenport.

The sem-final win sets up a final meeting with Serena Williams or Amelie Mauresmo on Saturday.

By the rule book this was a shock victory, with 13th seed and relatively new face seeing off Davenport, champion at Wimbledon in 1999, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

But Sharapova has been in good form in recent months, reaching the quarter final at the French Open, and despite being outclassed in the first set, took the game to Davenport in the final two sets.

"This is unbelievable," said an emotional Sharapova after her win. "I don't know how I am in the final. It is crazy.

"This is my favourite Grand Slam, but I never expected to do so well so early. I am so amazed," said Sharapova.

"I just kept believing in myself. I knew she was a champion. Somehow I had to turn it around and I finally found a way to get the break."

Just two points were played before rain caused the first interruption. The Centre Court crowd were full of eager anticipation over the fascinating clash between the three-times Grand Slam winner in the twilight of her career and blossoming talent of the Russian schoolgirl.

A shower caused a slight delay to the start but the players had completed their warm-up and the 17-year-old Sharapova made a nervy start only for slight drizzle to force them back off with the score at 15-15 and the clock yet to tick over for the first minute.

With further showers forecast, the players and spectators were set for another frustrating day.

The hold up would have done nothing to calm the nerves of the young Russian, who won only one more point in her opening service game and twice netted her backhand to give the American an early break.

Davenport consolidated with a love service game but Sharapova warmed to the task with a series of whipped forehands that characterise her power game.

The youngster forced a break point in the fifth game but the experienced Davenport quickly snuffed out the threat with two booming serves which were virtually unreturnable.

The Florida-based Russian was broken for a second time and Davenport, who got in 87% of her first serves, easily served out to take the first set 6-2 after just 26 minutes.

Sharapova was not being allowed to get into a groove because of Davenport's powerful hitting and never showed any signs of being able to master the serve of the 6ft 2.5ins former world No1.

There seemed no way back once the teenager dropped her serve at the start of the second set and she was forced to save two further break points to eventually get on the scoreboard.

Davenport, who conceded just one break point in the first set, was 2-1 ahead when steady rain began to fall once more, sending the players hurrying for cover.

The second rain break lasted just under an hour but normal service was quickly resumed when Davenport held her serve to lead 3-1 despite a second double fault of the match.

However Sharapova, playing more aggressive tennis, kept herself in touch with a love service game which included a second serve ace, and then - almost out of the blue - gained her first break of the match to even things up.

The Russian was quick to pounce on the second serve of her opponent, who put a forehand wide on break point.

Sharapova, fighting for every point, saved break points in each of her next two service games as the set went to a tie-break.

Davenport lost both her two serves and netted a volley to trail 6-3 and, although she saved two set points, another crashing Sharapova forehand broke the deadlock and levelled the match as she took the tie-break 7-5.

The Russian youngster took full advantage to turn the match on its head with a remarkable comeback and the momentum was clearly hers as she moved in for the kill.

She broke her opponent in the first game of the deciding set and, as she piled on the pressure, the confidence visibly drained from Davenport, whose game as well as her serve deteriorated alarmingly.

The American, making her 11th and almost certainly last visit to the All England Club, cast a dispirited figure as she trooped off court.