Maria Sharapova Advanced to Semi Finals!
Hot favorite Maria Sharapova beat compatriot Nadia Petrova 7-6 (8/6) 6-4 in the Quarter-finals of Australian Open 2006.
Fourth seeded Maria Sharapova climbed up twice in the first set. Nadia
was 5‑4 serving for the set, 6‑5 serving for the set and 6‑4 in the tiebreaker. However indomitable Maria won the breaker 8-6 to clinch the first set 7-6 (8-6).
The second set was a service break throughout and Maria Sharapova was 0-40 in the 10th game. Thanks to Nadia’s errors, Maria rattled down five straight points to win the match.
Maria Sharapova won all the three straight Grand Slam quarter-final meet between her and Nadia.
For Maria Sharapova, “it was definitely not easy,” and for Nadia “I just feel like I simply gave it away.”
Now Maria Sharapova will face the winner from other quarter-final between Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin-Hardenne, in the - Maria’s first -Semi-Finals of Australian Open Tennis Tournament.