Sharapova shoves aside Kanepi to set up Kvitova semi

PARIS: Maria Sharapova yesterday reached her third French Open semi-final where she will take on Petra Kvitova, the powerful Czech who crushed her in last year’s Wimbledon final.

Russian second seed Sharapova, who was also a semi-finalist in 2007 and 2011, eased past Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-3, while fourth-seeded Kvitova ended Kazakh qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova’s dream run with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win.

“I am happy to be back in the semi-finals. I love coming back here to challenge myself to go further in the tournament,” said Sharapova, who can reclaim the world No1 spot if she gets to Saturday’s final.

“I won two tournaments coming into Paris in Stuttgart and Rome and they gave me a lot of confidence. But every event is different. I am just happy to improve and I know it’ll get tougher from here.”

On another chilly, gloomy day in the French capital, Sharapova and Kanepi, who made the quarter-finals in 2008, exchanged breaks in the first two games before the Russian picked up two more in the third and seventh games.

Kanepi, the 23rd seed, saved two set points in the eighth game, but was powerless on the third when Sharapova unleashed a fierce serve down the middle which the Estonian deflected into the stands.

The start of the second set was just as untidy as the first with the world No2 giving up a break to slip 2-0 down on a fourth double fault and then retrieving it immediately in the next to trail 2-1.

Kanepi, who put out former world No1 Caroline Wozniacki in the third round, was quickly another break down while a Sharapova hold to love gave the Russian a 4-2 lead.

Sharapova squandered the opportunity to serve out the match in the eighth game when she was broken to love, but it was a brief respite for the 26-year-old Estonian who ballooned a forehand wide to hand Sharapova the tie in the next.

Kvitova reached her first French Open semi-final with a battling victory over world No142 Shvedova who had knocked out defending champ Li Na in the fourth round.

Shvedova was bidding to become the first qualifier to make the last four at Roland Garros and she got off to a roaring start against Kvitova and was 4-2 ahead in the deciding set before she wilted.

Kvitova held in the seventh game of the decider and immediately put pressure on Shvedova’s serve to level the match at 4-4, fol- lowed by a crucial hold.

Serving at 4-5, nerves got the better of Shvedova, allowing the world No4 to convert her second match point for a place in the semi-final.

Kvitova’s clash with Sharapova today will be the pair’s third Grand Slam clash within a year.

Today’s other semi-final sees Australia’s Samantha Stosur taking on Sara Errani of Italy.

Meanwhile, Rafa Nadal bulldozed his way into the men’s semifinals with a 7-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Nicolas Almagro while David Ferrer showed Andy Murray the exit door in a 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 thriller. – Sapa-AFP