LONDON, June 28: Title-holder Maria Sharapova will take on a rejuvenated Venus Williams and top seed Lindsay Davenport plays Amelie Mauresmo on Thursday in two enticing Wimbledon women’s singles semifinals.

The second-seeded Sharapova reached the last four with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 win over fellow Russian Nadia Petrova in Tuesday’s quarterfinals, while Williams held on to defeat France’s Mary Pierce 6-0, 7/6 (12/10).

Davenport proved too strong for Svetlana Kuznetsova winning 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 and third seed Mauresmo coasted past another Russian Anastasia Myskina 6-3, 6-4.

In winning her 22nd straight game on grass, Sharapova overcame her first serious test of the Wimbledon fortnight against Petrova, a player she had played only once before.

The 18-year-old had cruised through the first four rounds without dropping a set but Petrova, the eighth seed, matched the champion blow for blow in a 55-minute first set.

The set went into a tie-break which saw Sharapova, sporting her 18-carat gold-studded shoes, turn up her trademark decibel level to stamp her authority on her third set point and Petrova’s chance had gone.

“Finishing off the match gave me shivers down my body,” said Sharapova.

“Nadia has a big serve and a big game and she’s always dangerous. But I got through and I was ready for every shot.”

Oddest of the semi-finals was the bruising Centre Court encounter between the 25-year-old former champion Venus Williams and the 30-year-old veteran Pierce.

Williams, whose career had gone into a tailspin over the last few months, had not dropped a single set in her four previous ties, and she had said that younger sister Serena’s early exit had given her added motivation.

The 2000 and 2001 champion caught Pierce cold in an astounding first set and she then hung on grimly as the 12th seed found her range to claw her way through saving five set points in the second set tie-break.

“That was an unbelievable tie-break. She just kept hitting winners but somehow I stayed in there,” said Williams.

“I am an experienced player and I have been in the last four so many times. I know what I am doing.”

The 29-year-old Davenport came into this year’s Wimbledon as the top seed and world No.1, but her last Grand Slam title was five years ago at the Australian Open and she has been hinting at retirement over the last year.

But though stretched at times by US Open champion Kuznetsova, Davenport was always on top after stepping up the pace in the first set tie-break.

However, history favours the American - she hasn’t lost to Mauresmo in over five years.

The third seeded French woman was the most comfortable of the quarterfinal winners, taking charge at the net from the first game against last year’s French Open winner Myskina.

The Russian baseliner tried to mix it and play more aggressively in the second set, but that is not her game and despite getting back to 4-4, Mauresmo had little difficulty putting the match away.

“I really wanted to be aggressive in this match from the start to the end and put her under pressure. She didn’t like it,” said Mauresmo.

Women’s singles quarterfinal:

Venus Williams bt Mary Pierce 6-0 7-6(10); Lindsay Davenport bt Svetlana Kznetsova 7-6(1) 6-3; Maria Sharapova bt Nadia Petrova 7-6(6) 6-3; Amelie Mauresmo bt Anastasia Myskina 6-3 6-4.—Agencies