Sharapova to face Kvitova in final

Maria Sharapova will face Petra Kvitova in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.

The 2004 champion beat unseeded Sabine Lisicki this afternoon in order to compete for her fourth Grand Slam title.

Despite an early 3-0 lead for the German, Sharapova won the first set 6-4. It was the Russian that took the lead in the second set, maintaining it to secure a 6-4 6-3 victory.

“It’s amazing to be back in the final of Wimbledon,” she said after the match. “It has been a while.”

She went on to praise her opponent’s performance, which had led to an early lead for the 21-year-old. “She played really well and I did quite the opposite,” she admitted. “I just remained really focused throughout the rest of the match.”

Sharapova beat Lisicki in straight sets at their only previous meeting, the third round of this year’s Miami Masters.