Sharapova keeping expectations in check

She’s playing in Saturday’s women’s final of the
Australian Open.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A year after losing the Australian Open final in embarrassing fashion to Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova is looking unstoppable in her quest for a third Grand Slam singles title.

But if it doesn’t happen in Saturday’s final at Melbourne Park against Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic, she won’t lose too much sleep over it.

“From the beginning of the tournament, you want to go a step further than you’ve done in the past,” Sharapova said after her 6-3, 6-1 semifinal win over Jelena Jankovic Thursday.

“That’s always your goal, and your mantra going into a tournament. If it’s not this Saturday ... if it doesn’t happen, hey, it’s life.”

The way Sharapova is playing, she can afford to be introspective — six straight-set wins, including one that ended No. 1 Justine Henin’s 32-match winning streak in the quarterfinals.

Mind you, she had a similar record in last year’s tournament going into the final against Williams.

After being taken to three sets in a tough first-rounder against Camille Pin, including 9-7 in the deciding set, she won her next five matches in straight sets.

Then she ran into Williams — unseeded and ranked 81 coming into the tournament — and lost to the American 6-1, 6-2.

Any thoughts she had about adding to her 2004 Wimbledon title and the 2006 U.S. Open went out in quick fashion.

“You plan it out somehow in your mind, but sometimes it doesn’t always go as planned,” Sharapova says. “That’s the beauty of life and sport.”

This year, she senses it will be different, thanks to the confidence she has acquired from playing in her fourth Grand Slam final.

On Saturday, she’s up against an opponent with one previous final. Ivanovic lost to Henin in last year’s French Open title match and is seeded No. 4, a spot ahead of Sharapova.

The two have plenty in common. Both stand taller than 6 feet and hit right-handed with two-handed backhands. Both moved from their home countries to train elsewhere — Sharapova from Siberia to Florida and Ivanovic from Belgrade to Switzerland.

Both are 20, born seven months apart in 1987. And they’re all-square at 2-2 in career head-to-head matches — including Ivanovic’s win over Sharapova in the French Open semifinal last year and Sharapova’s victory over the Serbian player in a round-robin match at the WTA Tour championships in November.