MIAMI - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova beat former world tennis No 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-1 6-7 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the Nasdaq-100 Open today to end the Belgian's comeback run.
Sharapova will play either Venus or Serena Williams in the semifinals. The sisters play each other later tonight.
After whipping through the first set in 27 minutes, the 17-year-old Russian had chances to win far more emphatically.
She served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and held three match-points only to be pegged back.
After the Belgian had taken the tiebreak to level the match, Sharapova received treatment on her lower back.
"I've had a back problem for a little while already, " Sharapova said. "I did so much running today that it started to get stiff. I got some treatment and I just tried to forget about it. Hopefully I'll be back fresh. "
The treatment seemed to help Sharapova and she broke Henin-Hardenne's serve to go 2-0 up in the third and never allowed her advantage to slip.
After two hours and 17 minutes she took the match with a backhand winner.
"Things can turn around quickly, that's tennis for you," said Sharapova. "I knew I had to lift my game in the third set because all of a sudden she was getting a lot more balls back. She's a huge fighter out there. "
Henin-Hardenne was playing her first tournament since last year's US Open.
The Belgian spent much of last season battling the virus mononucleosis and was sidelined for the first three months of the 2005 season after she injured her knee while preparing for the Australian Open in January.
In men's fourth round action, Dominik Hrbaty beat French teenager Gael Monfils 6-3 6-3 and will play David Ferrer in the quarterfinals. The Spaniard defeated countryman Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-7 6-3 7-5.
- REUTERS
Tennis: Sharapova beats Henin to reach semis
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