• Western & Southern Open

Sharapova builds confidence with win over Stosur

Sam Stosur congratulates Maria Sharapova © Getty Images

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Wimbledon finalist Maria Sharapova overcame Sam Stosur in the quarter-finals of the Western & Southern Open to build confidence ahead of the forthcoming US Open.

Sharapova, the fourth seed, has never lost to the Australian - and extended her streak against Stosur to nine wins with a 6-3 6-2 success.

"I came in here not having a great last couple of tournaments, so I'm happy to improve every match," Sharapova said. "It's very important, my last event before the Open.

"Winning these matches always gives you more confidence going to New York."

Stosur started well against her 24-year-old opponent, as they traded blows in the early stages. But a double-fault to give up a break of serve proved to be the turning point, as Sharapova galloped to the opening stanza and carried that momentum into the next set, eventually securing it by two clear breaks as she headed for the semi-finals.

Sharapova's fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva had a harder route into the last four, as she came through a second set tie-break to defeat Daniele Hantuchova 6-3 7-6(6).

Hantuchova matched her opponent on first serves but saw her weaker second serve exploited over the course of the match, losing 77 per cent of those points as she eventually succumbed to defeat in just under two hours on court.

Andrea Petkovic was the third player to book her place in the semi-final, overcoming Nadia Petrova in 90 minutes, with a final scoreline of 7-5 6-1.

A slip on her own serve enabled Petrova to make the first set a real contest, but the German recovered to take the stanza anyway and was ruthless in the next set - blowing her opponent away as she beat a path into the final four.

Meanwhile, in the other quarter-final, China's Peng Shuai withdrew from the women's singles due to an injury to her left hip. The withdrawal allows the 2009 winner of the event, Jelena Jankovic, to progress to the final four in a walkover.

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