Former champion Serena Williams fought back from the brink of defeat to oust fourth seed Maria Sharapova 2-6, 7-5, 8-6 on Thursday and reach the Australian Open final.

Sharapova, who beat the former world number one in last year's Wimbledon final, served for the match in the 10th game of the second and third sets but Williams broke her both times, saving three match points in the final set.

Seventh seed Williams, the 2003 champion, was flat at the start but battled her way past the Russian teenager in a tense struggle in the third set and broke Sharapova in the final game with a backhand winner.

American Williams, who secured the last of her six grand slam titles at Wimbledon in 2003, will play world number one Lindsay Davenport or 19th seed Nathalie Dechy of France in the final.

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