Kim-Maria showdown

Maria Sharapova of Russia serves against compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in
the semifinal of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open on Saturda

Reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters and Russian beauty Maria Sharapova advanced to the WTA Cincinnati Open final in very different fashion on Saturday.

Belgian fourth seed Clijsters needed only 12 minutes to reach Sunday's title match of the two million-dollar hardcourt event after Serbia's Ana Ivanovic retired due to a left foot injury and left the court in tears.

Sharapova needed two and a half hours to defeat Russian teen Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the other semifinal. Sharapova made 40 unforced errors to 35 for her rival.

Clijsters led 2-1 after breaking Ivanovic in the third game, but the showdown of former world number ones would end after only 25 points being played and with the Serbian's US Open hopes in great jeopardy.

Ivanovic hurt her left foot making a forehand return from the baseline and after one more shot dropped her racket and doubled over in pain.

"I was very scared," Ivanovic said. "All of a sudden on that one shot, I felt something crack a little bit.

"Just on that one forehand when I went to step around it, I just felt like pain all of a sudden, so much pain in my foot and I couldn't step on it anymore."

Ivanovic limped to her chair and called for the trainer who taped the injured foot.

But after the next point, a serve Ivanovic never challenged, she halted the match and hobbled to the net where Clijsters embraced her and advancing to her third final of the year.

"I tried bit of tape, but I could not put any weight on it and there was no point in me continuing," Ivanovic said.

Ivanovic, ranked 62nd, struggled with a right shoulder injury earlier this year and was in only her third semifinal of the year, having yet to reach a final.

"I played some really great tennis and I was very excited about this match," Ivanovic said.

Clijsters made her return to tennis last year at Cincinnati after a two-year layoff to have a family and went on to lift the US Open trophy.

This year she missed nearly two months after a left foot injury that kept her out of the French Open.

"It sounds very similar to what I had with my left foot," Clijsters said of Ivanovic's injury. "I hope it's not that bad."

Clijsters, ranked seventh, ran for half an hour after the abbreviated match and practiced to keep her form.