• French Open, Day 12

Li storms past Sharapova in Paris

Li Na stretches for the ball © Getty Images

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Li Na secured her place in her second grand slam final on the spin with a 6-4 7-5 win over Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals of the French Open.

Chinese star Li has made assured progress through a draw that has seen a host of star names fall by the wayside. The draw had opened up to raise the prospect of Sharapova securing a career grand slam, but she fell at the same stage as she did in 2007.

It was set up as a clash of the power of Sharapova against the court craft of Li and the Chinese No. 6 seed produced the better all-round play to progress.

Li adapted to the blustery conditions the quicker and some crisp hitting earned her a couple of break points in the second game and it was secured when Sharapova fired a forehand over the baseline.

For all Sharapova's power, she found it tough to combat the howling wind and Li was able to fend off a couple of break points. Sharapova had a mid-court ball to attack in the third game but she got in a real tangle when the ball held up in the wind.

Sharapova did get on the board in the fourth, holding thanks to some crisp serving. Breaks of serve were traded in the middle of the set and Sharapova got back into the set with a break in the ninth game. However, she passed up the opening as Li fashioned break points. The Chinese is one of the most fluent movers in the women's game and her scrambling skills earned her the set. She reached a couple of balls that most players would not have got to and forcing her opponent to hit one more ball paid off as Sharapova crashed a forehand into the top of the net and the ball flew off the tape and wide of the sideline.

The run of consecutive breaks was stretched to five at the start of the second set, as a double fault from Li - her first of the match - helped Sharapova break.

Sharapova snapped the run of breaks with a love service hold but Li kept herself in the contest and broke to level at 4-4.

Prior to her serious shoulder injury, the serve was Sharapova's Achilles heel and it proved her downfall against Li. A double fault opened the door for Li who earned two match points when the Russian threw a forehand over the baseline and it was somewhat appropriate that a second double fault of the game sealed Li's passage into the final.

Francesca Schiavone remains on course for a second French Open title © PA Photos

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Li will have to overcome the defending champion if she is to prevail, as Francesca Schiavone proved too good for Marion Bartoli in the second semi-final.

Bartoli had the home crowd behind her, but she came up against a dominant Schiavone who appeared to have the ball on a string such was the quality of her play.

Schiavone produced great length to pin her opponent behind the baseline, but also had the talent to mix up angles and pace. It was not that Bartoli played badly, as the first seven games went with serve.

The Italian worked the first break in the eighth game. She showed tremendous touch to work glorious angles and she followed up the break with a string of glorious forehands to take the set.

Bartoli roared back to move 2-0 ahead in the second, but at no stage did Schiavone panic. She continued to mix up her play and successive breaks took her into the lead at 4-3.

Bartoli went for broke and with the crowd behind her, increased her hitting power. However, Schiavone is a canny clay-court operator and seeing her opponent ramping up the pace, she went the other way and took all the pace off the ball with biting slice.

The tactic forced Bartoli into mistakes, with her unable to control the ball and Schiavone broke to love to wrap up a 6-3 6-3 victory.

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