02 October,2009 02:43 PM IST | | PA Sport
Former World No 1 Maria Sharapova set up a final meeting with Jelena Jankovic at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo with a hard-fought win over Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday.
The Russian, who last won a tournament in April last year, won her last-four match 6-3 2-6 6-4.
Jankovic, the highest-seeded player left in the tournament at seven, swept past Na Li 6-4 6-3.
Former Wimbledon champion Sharapova ground out victory in two hours nine minutes in a match littered with breaks of serve. The Russian converted nine of her 19 breaks points and her Polish opponent, the 11th seed, eight of her 10.
It was the points won on her second serve which proved key for Sharapova, though, 38% to Radwanska's 26%.
Jankovic found the going easier against 15th-seeded Li, completing victory in one hour 58 minutes.
The Serbian saved eight of the 10 break points she faced and converted four of her own, despite Li making an impressive 74% of first serves.
The Chinese player was let down by an error count of more than 40.
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