BIRMINGHAM, UK - Seeds stopped the runs of non-seeds at the AEGON Classic on Saturday, as Li Na and Magdalena Rybarikova got past Maria Sharapova and Sania Mirza to reach the final of the $220,000 event.
Li was the first to advance to the title match, beating Sharapova for the first time in six meetings, 64 64. Li, seeded No.4 this week, had lost their first four matches in straight sets before their three set marathon at Roland Garros two weeks ago, where she won the second set at love and led 4-2 in the third before falling, 64 06 64. But this time she was able to fend off the former No.1.
"I definitely wasn't playing with the same intensity I had in the last couple of matches. Some days you have it, some days you don't," Sharapova said. "Against an opponent like her, that intensity has to be there every step of the match. I'm still getting used to a few things in my game. I just have to keep working, keep trying to get everything better and better."
"I was up 4-2 in the second set and double faulted twice. I was up 4-2 in the third set last week too. When I double faulted, I was thinking, 'What are you doing?'" Li said. "I lost to her so many times before. So I'm excited to win."
Rybarikova, the No.13 seed in Birmingham, won a streakier affair with Mirza, dropping the first set but taking the second set at love and running her streak to eight games in a row by building a 2-0 lead in the third. Mirza tied things up, 2-2, and held even for 3-3, but the wheels would fall off again as Rybarikova won 12 of the last 15 points of the match to complete a 36 60 63 victory.
"She played aggressively from the start and it surprised me," Rybarikova said. "I had to start playing aggressive myself. I think my serve was the key to the match. Grass if my favorite surface - I reached the junior final of Wimbledon and I like playing at the net. I'm hoping I can continue this in the final tomorrow."
It will be Rybarikova's first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour final, her best results before this week being semifinals at Tashkent last year and at Hobart and Pattaya City earlier this year. Li has been to five Tour singles finals previously, winning Guangzhou in 2004 and Gold Coast in 2008 and finishing runner-up three times, including Monterrey earlier this year. Li also has two Tour doubles finals to her name, winning both, including right here in 2006 (with Jelena Jankovic).
Li and Rybarikova have never played before. Rybarikova has had Top 20 wins before though, a good omen for her as she takes on world No.20 Li; the Slovak has had her first three Top 20 wins this season, against Flavia Pennetta in Hobart, Caroline Wozniacki in Pattaya City and Zheng Jie this week.
The doubles final, also to be played Sunday, will pit Cara Black and Liezel Huber against Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears in a match between the No.1 and No.4 seeds. Both teams won their semifinals in straight sets on Saturday. Black and Huber have already won three doubles titles on the Tour this year; Kops-Jones and Spears have won one.
