Russian Maria Sharapova, Anna Chakvetadze and Serb Ana Ivanovic made the semifinals, together with world number one Justine Henin, in the WTA Championships on Thursday.

 

 

Maria Sharapova of Russia returns the ball to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova during their WTA Championships tennis match in Madrid November 8, 2007. [Photo: Reuters] 

 

Sharapova rallied from a set down to overpower world number two Svetlana Kuznetsova 5-7, 6-2 and 6-2, and Chakvetadze toppled world number three Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 0-6 and 6-3.

 

Ivanovic made the last four thanks to Sharapova's victory, with the two players meeting on Friday to decide who will advance as group winner to avoid Henin in the semi-finals.

 

Henin had revenge for her Wimbledon semi-final defeat against Marion Bartoli when she demolished the Frenchwoman 6-0 and 6-0 in her final round-robin match.

 

Bartoli was the last player to defeat Henin when she came back from a set down to clinch a dramatic victory at Wimbledon in July.

 

"I wanted to take revenge," admitted Henin who was already assured of a place in the semi-finals of the US$3 million tournament she won last year.

 

"Wimbledon is far away now. She was better than me that day and that was it. Now a few months later I'm fresh and in Wimbledon I was pretty tired. I had a pretty good reaction after that defeat though and it helped me."

 

Sharapova, who won the prestigious event in 2004, recovered from a slow start to produce some top-class tennis against compatriot Kuznetsova.

 

She found her rhythm in the second set and started stretching Kuznetsova around with heavy ground strokes to record breaks in the fifth and seventh games.

 

In the third set, Kuznetsova's double fault gifted Sharapova three break points in the fifth game and she broke again in the seventh on her way to a confident victory.

 

"She hurt me in the first set but I got hold of myself and stayed tough and positive which was really good," said Sharapova.

 

Chakvetadze who edged the first set against Jankovic, looked to be wilting after losing the second 6-0.

 

But the Russian recovered to rattle off the next four games to go 4-1 up and then held her nerve to clinch the victory.

 

"It was a very tough match, a very nervous match with a lot of ups and downs," said Chakvetadze. "I'm so tired right now I just want to go to sleep."

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 9, 2007)