Sharapova, Henin-Hardenne reach women's final

NEW YORK -- Terrific at the start and finish, Maria Sharapova shrieked her way past No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo to end a Grand Slam semifinal jinx.

The third-seeded Sharapova beat Mauresmo 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 on Friday to set up a U.S. Open final against No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne, who took the last 10 games against a collapsing Jelena Jankovic for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.

"I came back from nowhere today," Henin-Hardenne said. "I feel lucky to be in the final."

So must Sharapova. After all, since winning Wimbledon in 2004, she had gone 0-5 in major semifinals, and she entered Friday 0-3 against Mauresmo. But punctuating nearly every powerful stroke with high-pitched shouts, Sharapova dictated the pace from the baseline.

Tonight, she'll try to overcome a 1-4 head-to-head mark against Henin-Hardenne.

"I had a terrible record against Amelie, and that ended today," Sharapova said. "I have a terrible record against Justine, so I hope that's a good luck charm at the Open."

The men's semifinals will be played today before the women's final. Andy Roddick of the United States, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, faces 54th-ranked Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, while top-seeded Roger Federer, aiming for a third consecutive U.S. Open title, meets another Russian, No. 7 Nikolay Davydenko, in the other semifinal.