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Paris: Li Na is back in a Grand Slam final, reaching her second straight major championship match by defeating Maria Sharapova 6-4, 7-5 Thursday in the French Open semifinals. Defending champion Francesca Schiavone also made it back to the French Open final, beating Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 6-3 Thursday in the semifinals.

The Australian Open runner-up, who became the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final this year in Melbourne, was able to chase down nearly everything Sharapova had to offer on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The wind was a factor yet again at Roland Garros, and Sharapova’s serve suffered because of it. The seventh-seeded Russian had 10 double-faults in the match, including on match point.

"She has a huge and big serve, so I was like: ‘Please, double-fault. That way I can win the match,’" Li said. "I never believe myself I can be in final in French Open. I wish I can do even better on Saturday."

Li finished with 24 winners, twice as many as Sharapova, and saved eight of 11 break points.

In the final, Li will face either defending champion Francesca Schiavone or No. 11 Marion Bartoli. They were to play later Thursday in the other semifinal match.

Sharapova was attempting to become only the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam. She was broken early in the first set, and then in her final two service games. In the eighth game, shortly after breaking Li to get back on serve at 4-3, Sharapova had three double-faults.

The Russian broke Li to open the second set. But Sharapova’s seventh double-fault gave Li the eighth game, making it 4-4.

After reaching the semifinals at the French Open on Wednesday, Li said she was surprised she has gone this far at the only clay-court Grand Slam. She has never won a title on clay, but she reached the semifinals at French Open warm-up tournaments in Madrid and Rome. In the final, she could end up playing another non-clay loving opponent.

Bartoli had never before reached the quarterfinals at her home Grand Slam, and her best result in a major was reaching the final at Wimbledon in 2007.

But Schiavone, the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, is more suited to the surface and could become the first player over 30 to reach a major final since Mary Pierce at the 2005 U.S. Open.

Defending champ Schiavone in French Open final

Defending champion Francesca Schiavone made it back to the French Open final, beating Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 6-3 Thursday in the semifinals.

Schiavone, who last year became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, will face Australian Open runner-up Li Na in Saturday’s final.

Schiavone converted her second break point in the eighth game of the first set and then held to take the lead.

In the second, Bartoli led 2-0, but Schiavone broke back in the third game and then again in the seventh for a 4-3 advantage. She broke again in the final game, winning four straight points on Bartoli’s serve.

After winning, Schiavone rubbed her hand in the clay and kissed it.

Source: MSN