Defending champion Maria Sharapova and top seed Serena Williams remained on course for a heavyweight Madrid Open final showdown with contrasting victories in the last 8 of the clay premier event on 07/05/2015.
Williams, who triumphed in the Spanish capital in 2012 and 2013, when she managed to beat Sharapova in the final, swept past local favorite Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-1 6-3.
Sharapova earlier had to recover from dropping the 2nd set and going a break down in the third to beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 3-6 6-3.
Suarez Navarro, who had never beaten the American world number 1 from 5 previous meetings, was powerless to prevent a fired-up Williams securing a last-four clash against Petra Kvitova.
The Czech 4th seed and 2011 champion cruised past unseeded Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu, who was through to her first premier event quarter-final, 7-5 6-3.
Williams, who saved 3 match points in Wednesday’s victory over Victoria Azarenka, is looking to hone her clay court game before making a bid for a 3rd French Open crown in Paris starting at the end of this month.
She won a 6th Australian Open singles title at the start of the year, taking her haul of individual grand slams to 19.
“I think Maria is playing well,” Williams told a news conference.
“I saw her play today … she really picked up her level and her game.
“I don’t know, right now I think she’s probably a big favorite to win this. Yeah, she’s playing great.”
Dane Wozniacki, a Madrid finalist in 2009 and like Sharapova a former world number one, had her service broken 5 times by the statuesque Russian, who is chasing a mind-blowing 35th career title.
Sharapova called on her coach for advice after losing her serve at the start of the 3rd set and said it had been a turning point.
“I had a good start but my level obviously dropped and I became much more inconsistent and passive,” she told a news conference.
“So I think that a little bit of a switch (helped) and just (being) a little bit more aggressive and going a little bit for my shots, moving forward,” she added.
“It was more of a mental change as well. Just looking for the next shot and creating a few extra steps in my footwork.”
Sharapova will return to number 2 in the world if she reaches the final.
Her opponent in the last 4 will be unseeded Russian compatriot and former world number 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova, who managed to save 2 match points to overcome Czech 13th seed Lucie Safarova 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6 (3).
Williams and Sharapova into Madrid semi-finals
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