Fast-rising Russian Maria Sharapova overcame a nervous start to reach her first WTA Tour final with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Zheng Jie of China at the Japan Open on Saturday.
The Florida-based 16-year-old, whose best result to date was a semi-final in Birmingham in the run-up to this year's Wimbledon, lost the first three games to Zheng in another early-morning start in Tokyo.
But the fifth seed quickly recovered to rattle off six straight games and seize control of the match.
"I really don't like waking up early," said the Siberian-born Sharapova, who reached the quarter-finals in Shanghai last week.
"But that's been my routine for the last few days and it's been working fine.
"I don't want to think about it being my first final. I just want to keep playing the same way and keep playing tough."
The 1.83-metre Sharapova will play Hungarian Aniko Kapros or Arantxa Parra of Spain in the final on Sunday.
