Maria Sharapova vs Ekaterina Makarova: Australian Open semi-finals live scores, blog

Match result:

Maria Sharapova has won the all-Russian semi-final battle to secure her spot in the Australian Open final with a 6-3 6-2 win over Ekaterina Makarova.

In a dominant display, from the world number two, it took Sharapova 87 minutes to progress to her fourth final at Melbourne Park.

It could have been different though if Makarova took her chances early in the match against her countrywoman.

She had two break points in the opening game of the match, as she unsettled a nervous Sharapova.

Sharapova would save both break points, and have a marathon game, against the world number 11.

After having three game points, and losing all of them, Sharapova would finally hold serve after 10 minutes in the match.

The hold swung the set in favour of Sharapova.

Makarova would then concede the break, in a long seven minute game, and hand Sharapova a 3-0 lead when she held to love in the next game to convert the break.

After saving a further four break points, in the next two games, Makarova would break back in the seventh game of the set.

She would make it 4-3, and on serve, for the last time in the match.

Not liking what had happened in the last game, Sharapova responded, and raised her game.

The world number 2 would break Makarova in the next game, and take the first set 6-3.

She would then break Makarova twice, in the opening three games of the set, to virtually end the contest.

Three more service holds for Sharapova would seal a chance on Saturday to win the Australian Open for the second time in her career.

The telling statistic from the match was the unforced errors to winners ratio for both players.

Makarova only hit 11 winners with 29 unforced errors. Sharapova, who dictated the contest, hit 23 winners.

The world number two was pleased with her performance.

“I thought I played solid. I did everything I had to do. I wasn’t afraid for it to become a physical match. I think it was important to really stand my ground in the first few games, which I did well, even though I was behind, especially the first and second one.

“Definitely happy I was able to win really solid today,” she added.

Sharapova will now face Serena Williams in the final and the Russian is hoping to reverse her poor head to head record against the world number one.

“My confidence should be pretty high going into a final of a Grand Slam no matter who I’m facing against and whether I’ve had a terrible record, against someone.

“It doesn’t matter. I got there for a reason. I belong in that spot. I will do everything I can to get the title.”

Maria Sharapova will battle Serena Williams for her second Australian Open on Saturday Night.

Match preview:

One Russian will be in the women’s final on Saturday night after today’s contest between Maria Sharapova and Ekaterina Makarova on Rod Laver Arena.

Join The Roar for a live scores and a blog of the match at 1:30pm AEDT.

For the first time since 2009, at the US Open, two Russian women will playoff for a spot in the final of a Grand Slam tournament.

Since the Soviet Union disbanded in 1991, and became Russia and 14 other countries, there have been three all Russian semi-finals at Grand Slam level.

Today will be the fourth between Sharapova and Makarova.

Surprisingly, this will be the first time Sharapova has met a fellow Russian, in the semi-final of a Grand Slam tournament.

The other three – which ran from 2007 to 2009 – involved Svetlana Kuznetsova, Dinara Safina, Vera Zvonareva and Anna Chakvetadze.

Today she meets Makarova, who is in her second Grand Slam final, after making her first last year at the US Open. She would win only four games in her loss to Serena Williams, who went on to win the title.

For Sharapova, she is an experienced campaigner, at the semi-final level. Today is her 19th final four match at Grand Slam level. Her record is nine wins and nine losses at this level.

Despite the poor record at this stage of the tournament, Sharapova is the favourite for the match. Her record against Makarova highlights why she is favoured to win today.

In five meetings between the two, Sharapova has won them all, and only lost one set in those matches. That match, which was the first meeting, was held on clay at the Madrid event in 2011. These two players have faced each other at the Australian Open before, with Sharapova winning 6-2 6-2 in the quarter finals of the 2013 event.

I predict today’s match to be close with the form of Makarova. She hasn’t lost a set all tournament and smashed the third seed, Simona Halep, in the quarter finals. The 6-4 6-0 win sent an ominous warning to the rest of the field.

What was so impressive about Makarova on Tuesday was her power, as she overpowered the world number three She forced Halep into over 50 errors in the match. You won’t lost matches when your opponent does that.

She needs to do that today against Sharapova who was dominant against Bouchard on Tuesday. Sharapova forced Bouchard to make plenty of errors in the match and dictated the contest. She will look to do that against Makarova today.

This match will all be about power, and hitting winners on each other’s forehand. Sharapova, who has hit 73 winners with her forehand, has won 12 per cent of her points from her forehand.

Makarova in comparison has hit eight per cent. Dictating the play between the two will be the focus for each player.

Sharapova should be better prepared than Makarova, so the world number 11 needs to deal with her nerves well, to make sure she doesn’t concede ground early.

If she gives Sharapova a break, or a set, the match could be over quickly.

I predict Sharapova to be too strong for Makarova today. Her experience at this level will count for a lot when the match gets close and tight. She may need three sets to win today but the world number two will book her fourth appearance at an Australian Open final.

PREDICTION – Maria Sharapova 2-1.