Maria Sharapova will play for gold in the Olympic tennis final.
Maria Sharapova of Russia returns to Kim Clijsters of Belgium at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012. WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Maria Sharapova will play for gold in the Olympic tennis final.
The third-seeded Sharapova defeated Russian teammate Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals at Wimbledon on Friday. She hit a forehand drive volley past Kirilenko on match point.
On Saturday, Sharapova will play either No. 1 Victoria Azarenka or Wimbledon champion Serena Williams.
Sharapova has won four Grand Slam titles, including the French Open this year. She missed the Beijing Olympics in 2008 because of a shoulder injury.