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Serena, Davenport in final
The two Americans set up an Australian Open showdown after fighting back from the brink of defeat in epic duels.
Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport set up an Australian Open showdown on Thursday after fighting back from the brink of defeat in two epic semi-final duels.
Former world number one Williams pulled off an extraordinary escape to defeat fourth-seeded Russian teenager Maria Sharapova, saving three match points to win 2-6, 7-5, 8-6 in 2 hours 39 minutes.
Top seed Davenport, meanwhile, was made to work just as hard before she finally overcame French 19th seed Nathalie Dechy 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in a nerve-jangling encounter on Rod laver Arena.
In the end, the experience of Williams and Davenport, who have nine Grand Slam titles between them, was to prove crucial.
For Williams, it was a case of history revisited. Her pulsating contest bore a striking resemblance to her 2003 Australian Open semi-final with Kim Clijsters, when she saved two match points before going on to win.
