For just a second, the 17-year-old Russian's assured facade slipped. "I don't know what to say, I'm going to cry right now," she said.

In only her second year of Grand Slam tennis, ice-cool Maria Sharapova reached the Wimbledon final with an assured 2-6, 7-6, 6-1 win over Lindsay Davenport.

She struggled to take it in.

"It's a shock, I don't think I've gotten it in to my system yet ... I don't know how to react," she said.

"I look at my dad and I look at my coach and I ask them 'Am I in the final?'

"It's amazing. I don't have any other words. I never expected it to happen so early in my life.

"I knew I could achieve many things if I worked hard and if I believed in myself but I never expected to do so well at such an early age.

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"I mean, good results, yeah ... but to get to the final of Wimbledon -- my favourite tournament -- is just amazing."

Sharapova is the first Russian to reach the final since Olga Morozova in 1974. Sharapova would not be born for another 13 years but she is aware of her tennis heritage.

"I knew about her ... I knew she was a great Russian player," she said.

Morozova lost that Wimbledon final to Chris Evert. Sharapova is hoping to give her country a happier ending 30 years on.

"I love playing for my country ... a Russian in the final and it's me, my first Wimbledon final ... it's amazing."