Sharapova romps into Melbourne final

By Greg Stutchbury

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Executing her game plan consistently had been the key to an unblemished run to the Australian Open final, Maria Sharapova said on Thursday.

The fifth seed blasted through to her second successive Melbourne Park final with a 6-3 6-1 drubbing of Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, who received treatment for a back injury during the match on Rod Laver Arena.

"I think that I've been able to execute the things that I've been wanting to do ...and I've been able to do it consistently, not just for three, four games and then have a major letdown," Sharapova told reporters.

"You have to be realistic, because you know that ...you're never going to hit a winner on every single ball. It's just simply impossible.

"But you also have to try to maintain that level and really play your game and believe in yourself."

The tall Russian, who said before the tournament she felt she had been injured for 80 percent of last season, has dominated her side of the draw and not dropped a set.

That pattern continued in the semi-final and while she struggled for accuracy on her first serve she pounded a barrage of winners past Jankovic.

Sharapova raced out to a 5-0 lead but suffered an attack of nerves when serving for the first set, allowing Jankovic to reel off three successive games before she finally sealed it on her sixth set point.