Sharapova Battles Into Last Four

Maria Sharapova survived a second-set stumble to advance to the Wimbledon semi-finals for the third year in succession.

Sharapova led Elena Dementieva 6-1, 4-0 on Centre Court before losing the next three games in a row and facing two more break points in the eighth game. But the 2004 champion dug deep to hold serve and eventually secure a 6-1, 6-4 victory in one hour and 10 minutes.

Sharapova needed just 27 minutes to win the opening set, saving a break point in the opening game and then immediately breaking her compatriot to race into a 3-0 lead. Dementieva, making her first appearance in the last eight at the All England Club, got on the scoreboard in the fourth game but her fragile serve cost her another break in the sixth game and Sharapova served out with ease.

Having won four of the pair's five previous meetings, including a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing in the final at Indian Wells earlier this year, Sharapova looked on course for a depressingly similar outcome when Dementieva was broken to love in the opening game of the second set, and broken again in the third. At least the 24-year-old from Moscow saw the funny side when a streaker decided to interrupt proceedings, while Sharapova simply turned to face the back wall and bounce a ball while waiting to serve.

After holding serve to lead 4-0, it appeared Sharapova was just moments away from sealing victory, but she lost the next three games in a row, losing her serve with two double faults in the space of three points. And when Dementieva held two more break points in the eighth game, what had been a walkover was threatening to turn into a contest. But the No7 seed held serve to force Sharapova to serve out for the match, and the teenager did exactly that to seal a well-deserved victory.

"I got off to a really good start and put a lot of pressure on her serve," said Sharapova. "I had a little bit of a let-down in the second set but I'm very happy that I could be in the semi-finals again. I had a point on her serve to go 5-0 up but played a sloppy point and she gained a bit of confidence and had nothing to lose at that point. It was just a matter of concentrating and getting the job done.

"I knew I needed to be really sharp, it's always tough playing against Elena. I knew I needed to raise my level for sure to win."

Top seed Amelie Mauresmo was pushed even harder by Anastasia Myskina before coming through 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Both players started the game badly and exchanged breaks of serve before settling into the match. Mauresmo found the telling break in the fourth game, when Myskina's feeble second serves proved too much of a temptation to the hard-hitting Frenchwoman.

Mauresmo saw out the set in front but Myskina seemed reinvigorated in the second set, breaking Mauresmo at the first opportunity despite having barely held her own serve just moments before. Both players seemed to find something resembling their usual form as the game went on, but Mauresmo failed to find a way back into the set. Her groundstrokes wobbled between the brilliant and the bumbling, and Myskina's weak serves invited her to put too much on her returns. An invitation she took up with interest.

If both players had seemingly felt their way into the match, the third and final set got even cagier. It stayed on serve until, at 3-2, Myskina's game crumbled under the pressure. Mauresmo was virtually a spectator as the Russian threw points her way. Mauresmo held her next game and almost broke Myskina again to claim the set and the match, but was eventually forced to win it on her own serve, which she did with a powerful ace.

Mauresmo says she will be in better form when she meets Sharapova in the semi-final.

"Winning through is the most important thing and I have an opportunity on Thursday to play better," she said. "It's my fourth semi-final here and I have another chance to go to the final. I am feeling good physically and I enjoy playing here."

The other semi-final will be played between French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters, who defeated China's Na Li in straight sets despite a valiant battle in the second set. Henin-Hardenne came through her quarter-final against Severine Bremond 6-4, 6-4 today.

Bremond made the worst possible start by being broken in the first game of the match, and never really recovered. Her timing was off and Henin-Hardenne held her own serve with little effort throughout.