MELBOURNE, Australia -- Serena Williams weathered a barrage of big serves and heavy groundstrokes in the first set before beating 19-year-old Madison Keys 7-6 (5), 6-2 to set up an Australian Open final against Maria Sharapova.
Williams dominated the second set of the all-American semifinal, breaking Keys' serve twice. Keys saved seven match points on serve in the penultimate game before Williams closed with an ace on her ninth match point.
Australian Open glance
At Melbourne Park Melbourne, Australia Purse: $32.9 million (Grand Slam) Surface: Hard-Outdoor
SINGLES
Women Semifinals
Maria Sharapova (2), Russia, def. Ekaterina Makarova (10), Russia, 6-3, 6-2. Serena Williams (1), United States, def. Madison Keys, United States, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
DOUBLES
Men Semifinals
Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini, Italy, def. Jean-Julien Rojer, Netherlands, and Horia Tecau (6), Romania, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, France, def. Ivan Dodig, Croatia, and Marcelo Melo (4), Brazil, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5).
Sharapova beat fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 earlier Thursday.
Williams, an 18-time major winner, is back in the final here for the first time since winning her fifth Australian title in 2010.
The victory ensured Williams will retain the top ranking, regardless of the outcome against No. 2 Sharapova. The American has a 16-2 record against Sharapova, including the last 15.
No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic was simply overpowering as he beat Canadian Milos Raonic 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-2 in exactly two hours at Rod Laver Arena in a match late Wednesday night, never facing a break point.
The four-time champion, who has dropped his serve only once through five matches, lined up defending champ Stan Wawrinka on Friday.
"I'm a self-critic, but tonight there was not much I could complain about," Djokovic said Wednesday night. "From the first game until the last, I play the way I wanted. I feel very good about my game at the moment."
Sharapova won the Australia Open title in 2008 but was comprehensively beaten in the championship matches in 2007, by then unseeded Serena Williams, and in 2012 by Victoria Azarenka.
The five-time major winner opened the 2015 season in confident style by winning the Brisbane International title but had a close call in the second round here, having to save match points against No. 150-ranked Russian qualifier Alexandra Panova. Since then, she hasn't faced a set point.
"It's been a strange road for me to get to the finals, but I'm happy," said Sharapova, who is now into her 10th Grand Slam final. "Came from behind in a few, really behind in one -- saving match points. I felt like I was given a second chance. I just wanted to take my chances."
Williams is Sharapova's longtime nemesis and has beaten her 15 times in a row, including two straight-set victories on hard courts early last season.
Despite such disappointments, Sharapova has kept working doggedly and competing ferociously, trying to make improvements in her attack-minded game with the help of her multinational team, headed by veteran Dutch coach Sven Groeneveld.
Williams may have been Sharapova's major career stumbling block, but she has also provided her with great motivation to add levels to her game and find an extra half step along the baseline.
After winning a tuneup tournament in Brisbane, Sharapova is moving well and has shown her usual taste for risk under great pressure. She saved the two match points against Panova by swinging for the lines and hitting them. And although Makarova was unable to pose that sort of threat, Sharapova stayed true to that style.
The prime example came in the eighth game of the match. Makarova, after a shaky and edgy start, had just broken Sharapova's serve to get back to 3-4 and was now serving into the wind.
Makarova won the first point of the game, but the next four points ended with the following shots from Sharapova: backhand winner down the line, forehand winner down the line, forehand winner inside-out, backhand winner cross court.
Three of those were winners were struck off balls that were relatively deep.
"I just stood my ground and competed well," Sharapova said.
Sports on 01/29/2015