W&S Open: Sharapova Wins French Open Rematch, Serena Advances to Semis

Aug 16, 2014 01:02 AM EDT

Maria Sharapova defeats Simona Halep to advance to the semi-final round at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati

(Photo : heraldsun.com.au)

Former Cincinnati Masters champion Maria Sharapova won a rematch against Simona Halep, while World No. 1 Serena Williams advanced to the semifinals of the Western and Southern Open on Friday.
The world's highest-paid female athlete Sharapova dropped the first set and then broke the second-seeded Halep twice to come out on top 3-6 6-4 6-4.

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This is Halep's first tournament after a semifinals appearance at Wimbledon where she lost to Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard.
Halep, 22, appeared to be in top form in the first set as she took advantage of a break on the Russian's serve to capture the set.
The five-time Grand Slam champ bounced back in the second set with a forehand smash down the line to break the Romanian and forced a third and deciding set which Sharapova closed out in the same manner.
The 27-year-old Sharapova will face 9th seed Ana Ivanovic, who earlier defeated the 19-year-old Elina Svitolina.
Svitolina had a string of upsets, defeating Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the second round, and 15th seed Carla Suarez Navarro, before bowing down to Ivanovic.
Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open winner, took out the teen in just two sets 6-2 6-3.
The 26-year-old Ivanovic defeated in the third round Svetlana Kuznetsova, who scored an upset against seventh-seed Canadian star Bouchard in the second round.
Williams made short work of her quarterfinals match against eighth-seed Jelena Jankovic, 6-1, 6-3 in 58 minutes.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion Williams converted seven service aces against the former Cincinnati titlist who had none.
"Obviously, it was a bad day," Jankovic said. "She played her game and I didn't do anything to disrupt that."
The 32-year-old Williams moves to the semis, facing 12th seed Caroline Wozniaki, who defeated Rogers Cup champion Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 7(7)-6(5).
Williams is seeking her first W&S title after losing last year's crown to Victoria Azarenka who pulled out of the tournament because of an injury in her right knee that she sustained in Montreal last week.