By Bill Barclay
LONDON, July 6 - Amelie Mauresmo outwitted Maria
Sharapova in their Wimbledon semi-final on Thursday.
After surrendering a set and 3-1 lead, the French world
number one used defensive tactics to neutralise the Russian's
power-hitting and secure a place in her first Wimbledon final
with a 6-3 3-6 6-2 victory.
In the third set Mauresmo sucked Sharapova out of her
comfort zone on the baseline and into the net, forcing a string
of errors from the 2004 champion.
"I felt tactically I played very well today," said Mauresmo,
who faces Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne in Saturday's final.
"My game is really different from how the other girls play
on grass. It makes it maybe a little bit different for the
opponent.
"She has to adjust every time, she has to play almost a
winner or passing shot every time.
"That's what I've been doing best here and today I really
wanted to do it this way and it worked out pretty well.
"It was not perfect, but it still was a win and a convincing
one, I think."
Mauresmo had lost her previous three Wimbledon semi-finals
but the 26-year-old is playing with a new sense of belief after
winning her first grand slam title at the Australian Open in
January.
"I just hung in there. I kept fighting. I could have let it
go mentally in that third set but I just felt it was not going
to be this way this time," she said.
"So I was able to fight through it. That was good."