LONDON, July 1 (UPI) -- American star Serena Williams and Russian teenager Maria Sharapova won hard-fought matches at Wimbledon Thursday and will meet for the championship.
The 22-year-old top-seeded Williams, shooting for her third straight Wimbledon title, outlasted Amelie Mauresmo 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 6-4. It was Williams' seventh win in eight matches against the French player.
Sharapova, 17, the 13th seed, beat 28-year-old American Lindsay Davenport, who won the championship in 1999, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
"I just believed in myself," the young Russian said.
Williams and Sharapova play for the title Saturday.
If Williams wins, she will be the first to claim three straight Wimbledon titles since Steffi Graff won in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Sharapova will be playing in her first grand slam final.
Top-seed and defending champion Roger Federer of Switzerland meet's France's Sebastien Grosjean and American Andy Roddick plays Mario Ancic of Croatia in the men's semifinals Friday.
