Not going to be around for all of this but go Ana, who seems to be the underdog here..... :yahoo:

Got a sneaky feeling Sharapova's gonna win this, something about the way she came back against Schynder. I like Maria too though, and wouldn't hold it against her - you have to admire her getting this far on her worst surface.

Still, think I'm going to ignore that sneaky feeling. Ana's a better clay court player than Sharapova and as long as she doesn't misfire badly, she should win. Ajde Ana!

Come On Maria!!!!! I want to hear some world class grunting/shrieking todayl!!! :clap: :clap:

Well she can go grunting with me in the locker room afterwards if she likes... :P

AND THEY'RE OFF

Ana to serve, and let's hope they both serve us up a cracker :party:

Both players looking the part that's for sure.

1-0 Ivanovic and she has break point on Maria's serve..

Cracking running forehand down the line from Ivanovic and she breaks.... 2-0!!

3-0 Ivanovic... Come On Maria..... less sleeping....more grunting!

A smashing backhand hits the outside of the line and Shazza has finally won a game..... 3-1 Ivanovic...

Do you have a livestream, or is it on TV for you?

All Ana has to do this set is cling on to her serve....

One thing that annoys me so much about women's tennis was characterised in Ana's last service game... 15-0 up, she hits a brilliant serve right into the corner, Sharapova barely gets a racket on it, it's only just looping over the net, and what does Ana do? She charges at it like a maniac and attempts to hit a drive volley at 200mph... admittedly, she should have made it, but she hit it long and ended up digging herself a bit of a hole. Why do they do this?! Let it bounce Ana! :angry:

Anyway, so far so good, although it's Maria's errors more than anything that have given Ana the iniative. I'd like to see Ana dictating the points more... but I'm still confident . As long as that serve keeps firing, she's in business.

BBC Interactive mate... you got digital?

5-1 30-30 Ivanovic serving for the set....

No television where I am.

Ana loses her serve for the first time serving for the match - that does not look too clever, perhaps Sharapova is roused...

hmm gav it aint looking good so far, but knowing maria she may well fight :)

or just hit a proper volley - that shot is one that seems to have been forgotten in women's tennis :rolleyes:

Ana got a little tight there, she's really blasting some winners though, I think she's dictating quite well really....2 set points.....which Sharapova DFs on, her serving woes won't bode well for Wimbledon :unsure:

Ana breaks to go 6-2 - avoid the Birmingham area due to tremors of excitement chez Wise

:yahoo: First set 6-2!

Not the best effort to serve out the set from Ana though - 3 poor points from 30-15 up, which doesn't bode well if the match gets tight. Fortunately she was able to instantly break Maria's serve.

More of this in the second set please Ana :clap:

Drive volleys are so much more fun though :D

Nope, not at all there goes the first set! But she can battle as you say...

COME ON MARIAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yahoo: :yahoo:

Told you so (re Wise that is)

This is all happening rather quickly Ana wins her first service game in the 2nd set to 15 and Sharapova needs to dig something out before this gets away from her.

awful shot :o

COME ON MARIA!!! :yahoo: :clap: :clap: :clap:

She needs to get some bananas inside her...

b***ocks Ana already holds for 1-0 :(

Impressive poise from Ivanovic - she seemed to tighten up twice, the first whilst serving to make it 4-1 and got into 15-30 but dug herself out with good serving, and the second serving for the first set, broken from 30-15. The important thing is to recover from these blips and she did admirably, going after Sharapova's service game and putting enough pressure to draw the DF at 15-40 and nab the first set 6-2.

We'll see how the Russian responds - she has been to any number of Slam semis by now but seeing as this is her first in Paris she's been playing a bit like a debutante herself.

I like them, they're so satisfying to hit :shrug:

This is frustrating, watching via web link... :angry:

She always loses these big matches if I don't watch them... :(

Proper volleys are better - to hit and to watch roflmao

2 BP's Ana - anyone watching?

btw Maria is hitting serves at 115 mph + - the shoulders not affecting her pace of serve

2-0 bollocks this looks like it'll be quick

Perhaps but she's winning less than 50% of the points on her first serve! That won't get it done for Sharapova, and Ivanovic goes up 2-0 in the second.

Gav is - I'm following the scores. Looks like a massacre, Ana serving at 2-0 in the second. Scores suggest that Shazza has to improve dramatically or rely upon an Ana collaps in form.

Probably better to watch, but I prefer hitting drive volleys :)

do many go in? roflmao

0-30. COME ON!!!!!

Unless Maria kicks in here it's going to be over very quickly! She is not playing well at all. Whereas Ivanovic is playing extremely well.

A couple :whistle:

3-0 Ana....at least it looks like my prediction for the bottom half finalist will be right :)