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SAN DIEGO, July 31: French Open champion Anastasia Myskina beat Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova 7-5, 6-2 to go through to the semifinals of the Acura Classic on Friday.
Myskina will face Vera Zvonareva in an all-Russian semifinal after the 12th seed received a walkover from Serena Williams, who pulled out of the tournament with inflammation to her left knee.
Fourth seed Lindsay Davenport continued her outstanding play with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Ai Sugiyama of Japan.
Davenport will face Russian fifth seed Elena Dementieva, who beat American Amy Frazier 6-2, 6-1.
In a brilliant performance, the 23-year-old Myskina ably moved Sharapova around the court and rarely allowed her compatriot to dictate play.
Sharapova, 17, led 5-2 in the first set but then rapidly lost control of the match when Myskina moved inside the court and began to cut off her angles.
Myskina fought off a set point in the ninth game with a forehand winner down the line. She broke to 6-5 when Sharapova double faulted and held on to win the set when the sixth seed committed a forehand error.
Myskina raced off to a 4-0 lead in the second set. Sharapova staged a brief rally to 4-2 but doubled faulted on break point to fall behind 5-2. Myskina won the contest when Sharapova missed a forehand.
Friday's results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Quarterfinals: 3-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat 6-Maria Sharapova (Russia) 7-5, 6-2; 5-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat Amy Frazier (US) 6-2, 6-1; 12-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat 1-Serena Williams (US) - walkover (knee injury); 4-Lindsay Davenport (US) beat 8-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 6-1, 6-3.
TORONTO MASTERS
TORONTO: World number one Roger Federer brushed aside Fabrice Santoro 7-5, 6-4 on Friday to reach the semifinals of the Toronto Masters.
Defending champion Andy Roddick, the second seed, also went through with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Czech qualifier Jan Hernych.
Federer struck 47 winners as he racked up his 21st victory in a row, the longest sequence since Pete Sampras won 24 in 1999, to set up a clash with Thomas Johansson, who put out fellow Swede Joachim Johansson 6-3, 7-6.
The Wimbledon champion was confident going into the match against the 58th-ranked Santoro, having disposed of the Frenchman 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 when they last met in the Davis Cup.
But the feisty Santoro, four times a quarter-finalist in Canada, would not submit quietly on an overcast afternoon.
The opening set went with serve through five games, Federer leading 3-2, before the Swiss player seized control by breaking Santoro.
But Federer had difficulty closing out the set with Santoro, dubbed the 'Magician', breaking back at 5-4 and then holding to pull level at 5-5.
Federer, however, would not be denied and clinched the set on his fourth set point.
It was close again in the second set until Federer earned the decisive break at 5-4 before holding serve to seal victory.
Roddick clinched a last-four showdown with Germany's Nicolas Kiefer, who rallied to down Austria's Jurgen Melzer 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Friday's results:
Quarterfinals: 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Fabrice Santoro (France) 7-5, 6-4; 2-Andy Roddick (US) beat Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-2; Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Joachim Johansson (Sweden) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) beat Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.-Agencies
