Henin, Sharapova reach Madrid final

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Defending champion Justine Henin will play Maria Sharapova in the Sony Ericsson Championships final on Sunday.

Henin beat fourth-ranked Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-4, and Sharapova defeated No. 7 Anna Chakvetadze 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday in the semifinals of the round-robin tournament that features the top eight players.

Henin can become the first player to go unbeaten post-Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in 1989. A win Sunday would equal Graf's 25-match run and make Henin the first player to capture 10 or more titles in a season since Martina Hingis in 1997.

"It's going to be a tough one, she's got nothing to lose and this is the last match," Henin said. "I need pressure to play well. To win the championship is my motivation and my goal."

Henin and Sharapova last met in the 2006 semifinals of the WTA's season-ending tournament. Henin won 6-2, 7-5 (7-5) to clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking.

Sharapova has beaten Henin only twice in eight meetings, the last at the 2006 U.S. Open final.

On Saturday, Sharapova won her fourth straight match of the tournament after an injured shoulder limited her to a single victory since Aug. 31.

"I just thought to myself that four weeks ago you were really doubting yourself, so to be here is really great and to be in the final is even better," said Sharapova, who can move into the top five with a win.

Ivanovic put up a tougher fight against Henin than during their last encounter -- a 6-1, 6-2 defeat in the French Open final.

The top-ranked Belgian needed long rallies to break Ivanovic six times. Henin held serve nine times despite nine double-faults and improved to 3-0 against Ivanovic.

The sixth-ranked Sharapova, who won the 2004 season-ending tournament on her debut, broke Chakvetadze twice in each set to improve to 6-0 against her.

"The most import thing is that I've been able to serve without thinking about hurting my shoulder," Sharapova said. "I'm serving and playing freely and that is really important."

Chakvetadze, who has won a career-best four titles this year, failed to convert a break chance in the second game as Sharapova slowly found her game.

"I definitely felt a little bit off to start, especially with my rhythm in the first two games. But I came through a couple of break points and that gave me confidence," Sharapova said.

Sharapova, who dropped out of the top five for the first time in three years after winning a career-low one singles title this season, got a break in the third game when her opponent double-faulted.

She broke again in the fifth before serving out the set after Chakvetadze's forehand went into the net following a long rally.

"It was tough today because there were so many easy mistakes from me," Chakvetadze said.

Sharapova, who won 27 of 32 first service points, broke twice to take a 3-0 lead in the second set, and saved a double-break chance in the sixth with a forehand smash.