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Sharapova to meet Hantuchova for spot in Doha final
Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova of Russia will take on Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova for a place in the final of the 600,000-dollar WTA Qatar Open after both glamour girls came through their quarter-finals.
The other semi-final will be played between Australia's Alicia Molik and France's top-seed Amelie Mauresmo.
Molik defeated Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7/1) while Mauresmo ousted Russian qualifier Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-2.
Sharapova had too much class for Bartoli, although the reigning Wimbledon champion was far from perfect.
Bartoli actually led the first set 3-2 after a break in the fourth game, but Sharapova caught up soon and finished off the set with a break in the 11th game.
The Russian then swept to a 5-0 lead in the second set only to suffer a minor hiccup when Bartoli broke her and held her serve to narrow the gap at 2-5. Sharapova, who was quite pumped up by now, duly served out the match.
"I was a bit sloppy in some of the games. I wished I had served a little better," said the 17-year-old.
Sharapova said she was happy with her season so far, having made four semifinals so far.
"I've worked very hard and I try to push myself hard and raise my game every day," she said.
Earlier Hantuchova, the 2002 Wimbledon and US Open quarter-finalist, was in a tearing hurry as she raced past the 32-year-old Martinez by winning six games in a row after a rain interruption that lasted nearly three hours.
"It was a pleasing victory and I'm very happy with my concentration," said Hantuchova.
"Conchita is a dangerous player with lots of experience behind her and I knew I had to be very aggressive from the start," added Hantuchova after reaching her first semi-final of the year.
Martinez, who had upset the two-time defending champion Anastasia Myskina of Russia in the second round Wednesday, ran out of steam against a much quicker opponent who didn't hesitate to display her full array of shots on the Khalifa Complex centre court.
After wrapping up the first set with her third break in the 10th game which she finished with a blistering forehand, Hantuchova upped the tempo in the second set.
The lithe Slovakian secured breaks in the second and fourth games as Martinez was forced into committing several errors. A deft volley that skimmed the net and a searing down the line winner showed Hantuchova was in a totally different league.
Martinez did win a game, the sixth, but only after saving a match point. In the end it proved too little too late as Hantuchova finished off the match by winning the seventh game to love.
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