Sharapova wins battle of Russians

Australian Open, women's quarter-finals: Sharapova wins 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova overcame the stifling heat and compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova to set up a semi-final clash with Serena Williams at the Australian Open.
Sharapova recovered from losing the first set to record a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory in Melbourne, where the temperature was already above 90 degrees before the 11am start.

Both players sought the small patches of shade on Rod Laver Arena at every opportunity, and with the extreme heat policy in operation, took advantage of the permitted 10-minute break at the end of the second set.

US Open champion Kuznetsova had looked in command after taking the opening set and breaking Sharapova in the opening game of the second.

But Sharapova had twice fought back from similar positions in earlier rounds, and won six of the next seven games to level the match.

Kuznetsova, who is still considering legal action over the accusations she had failed a drugs test at an exhibition in December, was finding it impossible to hold serve and by the end of the match had been broken an amazing eight times in succession.

The final break saw Sharapova win the best point of the match to seal victory, the 17-year-old desperately keeping the ball alive before producing a superb forehand winner to reach only her second Grand Slam semi-final.

"I need a wheelchair right now," said Sharapova, whose win means she will overtake Anastasia Myskina as the top-ranked Russian player.

"Just mentally I tried to tough it out. It was so hot I tried to forget about it and concentrate on what I was supposed to do. I think this was one of the toughest matches in my life."

In contrast Williams had an easy victory over second seed Amelie Mauresmo.

Williams had won eight of the pair's previous nine meetings, including coming from a set down in the semi-finals of the season-ending tour championships last year.

And the 2003 Australian Open champion was always in command against the French woman today, breaking serve twice in the first set to take it 6-2.

The second set followed a similar pattern with Williams breaking twice more before completing a 6-2, 6-2 win with her fifth ace.

"I feel great, I played really solid and did not make too many errors," said Williams. "I was really focused, especially after our last match I knew I was playing a great player so I knew I had to be really serious."

Mauresmo had her left thigh heavily strapped and admitted it had severely hindered her in the match.

"Tennis is tough enough when you are 100%, when you are 50% it is getting tougher and tougher to win. What can I do?" she said.

"It got worse during the last match, I thought I would recover well with a day of rest but it was not the case. It is frustrating. I thought I could play at maybe 90% today.

"She had nothing to do but put the ball back in. You can't really judge her game today."