Rezai is not far.

Aravane Rezai will not play his first final on grass at Birmingham. The French had been beaten by Na Li (6-1, 3-6, 6-3), already in the final last year. The Chinese, seeded No.1, will face Sharapova, Winner of the American Alison Riske, end of qualifying, (6-2, 4-6, 6-1).

WTA BIRMINGHAM - Semi-Finals:
Na Li (CHN/N.1) Aravane Rezai beats (FRA/N.4) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Maria Sharapova (RUS/N.2) beat Alison Riske (USA / Q) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1

Aravane Rezai was known at home on clay, but little grass. After a final played (and won) in Madrid before Roland Garros, Saint Etienne had the opportunity to replay one in Birmingham, a month later ... But despite a good Invoice match against an opponent who had beaten right here last year, it had no weapons in the semifinals to dominate Na Li, 11th world. The Chinese, seeded No.1 in the table and asked, was already a finalist last year in Birmingham (beaten by the Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova). By passing the obstacle Rezai, she will play her first final of the season.
This semi-final played by Rezai is still a good result for the French to a little over a week from the beginning of Wimbledon. She had never reached such a stage race on turf career on the WTA Tour. In London she will try to turn the corner of 3rd round, she reached in 2007 (losing to Ivanovic). Last year Dementieva was eliminated in the second round. This season, she will be seeded for the first time at the All-England Club, pourrra gain points if it shows such quality.
This has been a nothing for the four top seeds are found in the semi-finals. But Alison Riske has decided otherwise by eliminating Yanina Wickmayer, Seeded No.3, in the quarterfinals. Faced with the Belgian, the young American for nearly 20 years, the 185th World has created a stir by moving up in the semis against Maria Sharapova, then she is from the qualifying draw. Faced with the Russian double winner at Birmingham (2004-2005), was another story. Semi-finalist for the seventh time in as many, Sharapova has won a 31st victory in 35 games in this tournament by beating the opponent in 3 rounds. On Sunday she will her third trophy in Birmingham, his third of the season on a third different surface after victories in Memphis (on disk) and Strasbourg (on clay).