Sharapova, Dementieva Chase First BNP Paribas Open Crown

Maria Sharapova defeated Martina Hingis 6-3, 6-3 to reach her first final at the BNP Paribas Open and in the process avenged her painful loss to the Swiss Miss in the first Tier 1 event of the year in Tokyo. Sharapova fell to Hingis in the semifinals of last month's Pan Pacific Open, where the Russian was the defending champion.

Sharapova, who also defeated Hingis in the Tier II Dubai event late last month, is chasing her second career Tier I title. The 18-year-old former World No. 1 improved to 15-3 on the season and is chasing her first title of the year.

Sharapova, who reached her 12th career final in Dubai, plays fourth seed Elena Dementieva in the final.

Sharapova said: "I think the level of tennis was definitely higher than I've played in the last few months. Thank God it just went my way. I think I played a great match in Australia in the semis and it didn't go my way.
So, you know, it was a good end to the day.

"I think [it's important] to see the opportunities when they come, especially on short balls, taking those opportunities, not letting her get back in the point. That's what she does great, you know, is getting a lot of balls back, seeing the ball and making you hit an extra shot."

Hingis said: "She has good offense game. She pressure me in the beginning. She play really well. Compared to the other two matches, she definitely started off a lot better than the previous ones."

Hingis said she was encouraged to reach the semifinals of a Tier I event: "If someone told me, 'You're going to make the semifinals, beating Lindsay, Safina, making it to the semis,' probably I would have signed the contract in the beginning of the week. But now that you've come that far, you're like, of course. I wouldn't be a competitor if I be satisfied with getting there. You always just want to get more out of it."

Elena Dementieva won just four of the first 15 games but then rallied to defeat top seed and 2004 champion Justine Henin-Hardenne to reach her second consecutive Tier I final of the year.

Henin-Hardenne served for the match twice in the second set, at 5-2, and 5-4 before Dementieva, who won the first Tier I tournament of the year in Tokyo, came steaming back.

Dementieva, who served 13 double faults in the first two sets, tightened her game in the third set, when she served just one double. Henin-Hardenne saved one match point on serve at 4-5 in the third set but Dementieva converted her second match point when the Belgian netted a backhand to drop serve - and the match - at 5-6.

Dementieva said: "Really, that was a very tough one. Last time I beat Justine, you know, I saved one match point. I didn't expect an easy match against Justine. That's really what happened today.

"When I was 6-2, 5-2 down, I was like, 'Welcome to Miami, I have a flight tomorrow.' Really, I didn't expect myself to win this one (laughter). I was having some fun, some lucky shots. I was smiling. My mom, you know, she was angry with me. She said, 'Are you playing semifinals or are you having some fun here?'"

Henin-Hardenne said: "I think I was dominating the match. I was up 6-2, 5-2, then I lost my concentration a little bit at that point. That cost me the second set.

"I really helped her to come back in the match. I was playing pretty good in the first set then till 5-2. I don't know, maybe I thought too early that the match was over. Just for one game I lost my concentration. Then she took the opportunities and the match turned completely."