Sharapova vs Kvitova for Wimbledon title

Former champion Maria Sharapova will play Petra Kvitova in Saturday's Wimbledon final.

The pair had contrasting semi-final victories on Thursday, Sharapova beating wild card Sabine Lisicki in straight sets after Kvitova had fought to a three-set victory over Victoria Azarenka.
Sharapova will start the weekend showdown as the favourite to win a second Wimbledon crown after finally ending her wait to reach another final in SW19.
She had to overcome serving problems to ensure she returned to the final for the first time since her 2004 triumph as a 17-year-old.
The Russian posted a 6-4 6-3 win but a first-serve percentage of just 48 and a tally of 13 double faults was worrying for the fifth seed.
Lisicki, only playing thanks to a tournament invite after injury problems, made a flying start, breaking Sharapova to love in her first service game.
However, that game featured two double faults, something that was to become familiar to the Centre Court crowd.
Sharapova, yet to drop a set at this year's championships, soon hit back though and she was quickly level at 3-3.
Lisicki's booming serve - she banged one down at 124mph earlier in the tournament - was broken again in the ninth game to leave Sharapova serving for the set.
Two set points were duly created and although the first was saved with the drop shot which had served Lisicki so well during her quarter-final win over Marion Bartoli, the second brought an ace from the Sharapova racquet.
The drop shot let Lisicki down as the second set, a netted effort seeing her fall 0-40 down in the first game.
A double fault followed to leave the former champion in full control.
Aside from her serve, Sharapova's game looked in good order and she was soon a double-break to the good. Although one was squandered, Lisicki was unable to take advantage, losing her serve again.
Sharapova failed to serve out the match at 5-2 but simply broke serve for the sixth time in the contest in the following game to book her meeting with Kvitova.
The Czech had progressed earlier thanks to a 6-1 3-6 6-2 victory over Azarenka.
It was a typically powerful performance from the 21-year-old, who, after a flying start, was able to put a second-set blip firmly behind her to dominate the decider.
Kvitova had to save a break point in the first game of the match but after that took firm control.
She broke Azarenka for the first time in the fourth game and even a fire alarm going off just outside the court could not shift her focus.
Azarenka had fought back from 40-0 down to deuce in the fifth game which featured the alarm, but Kvitova held her off to move 4-1 up.
A second break of serve duly followed and the eighth seed then produced three aces to serve out the set, clinching it 6-1 in just 27 minutes.
Azarenka, the highest-ranked player left in the tournament, began her fightback by breaking Kvitova at the start of the second set.
She saved a break-back point in the third game, Kvitova sending a backhand long, but in the main the momentum had definitely swung.
The Czech, who has stormed up the rankings since reaching the last four here 12 months ago, had to fight hard to prevent herself falling a double break down.
However, Azarenka did not require the second break as she served out to level the match despite a minor wobble.
Having kept her hopes alive with a much-improved second set, it was a surprise to see Azarenka make a poor start to the decider.
She was soon 3-0 down as Kvitova refocused.
Azarenka had two points to get the set back on serve in the fifth game but both were saved by Kvitova, the second with a trademark forehand winner.
From there it was plain sailing for the Czech.
She missed her first match point at 2-5 - framing the ball long - but on the second she did not have to do anything, her opponent double-faulting to end the contest.
Kvitova, who idolised Martina Navratilova as a child, becomes the first Czech since Jana Novotna in 1998 to reach the Wimbledon final.
It will be her first at Grand Slam level.