Sharapova tops Red Group to set up likely Henin final

MARIA SHARAPOVA continues to impress at the WTA Championships and clinched top spot in the Red Group with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Ana Ivanovic yesterday.

Plagued by injury for much of 2007, the Russian has largely had a season to forget and has played in just a dozen tournaments, winning her only title at San Diego in August. Yet despite her problems, the former world number one finds herself in the semi-finals of the prestigious season-ending event and just two wins away from her second title here in four years.

While Sharapova and Ivanovic entered their round-robin clash knowing they had already qualified for the last four, there was still something to play for.