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Top seed Maria Sharapova overcame an error-strewn performance to beat Anna Chakvetadze and reach the last four of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Twelfth seed Chakvetadze was twice a break up in the first set but eventually lost it on a tiebreak.

In the second set, it was Sharapova who twice led by a break but a slew of errors allowed her fellow Russian back.

Chakvetadze had to save a match point at 4-5 down before Sharapova finally came through 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.

Sharapova, who has now reached the semi-finals in Melbourne for the last three years, will play fourth seed Kim Clijsters.

But the Russian will have to cut out her errors if she is to make her first Australian Open final after hitting 41 unforced errors, including six double faults, in her quarter-final.

The 19-year-old was broken twice in each set and she had to scrap hard for a victory which took two hours and 14 minutes.

It was a nervy display in which she was given a code violation after the umpire ruled that her father Yuri was coaching her during the match.

“I thought I was up and down, a bit scratchy,” said Sharapova, who was treated for blisters midway through the second set.

Russia’s Maria Sharapova will regain the world No 1 ranking after Amelie Mauresmo and Svetlana Kuznetsova made shock exits at Melbourne yesterday.

After current top-spot holder Justine Henin-Hardenne withdrew from the Melbourne Park event for personal reasons, Sharapova ensured there would be a new No 1 by reaching the last 16 at the year’s first grand slam.

Sharapova and Frenchwoman Mauresmo were set to vie for the elite ranking but with the defending champion’s defeat to the Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova and the Russian having fewer points to defend, most of the permutations were made redundant.

Top-seeded Maria Sharapova needed just more than hour of play Saturday to claim a third-round victory at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Sharapova, fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters and sixth-seeded Martina Hingis all posted straight-set victories and moved into the fourth round of the year’s first Grand Slam event. Rain forced the postponement of several other third-round matches, however.

Sharapova ousted 30th-seeded Tathiana Garbin 6-3, 6-1 in running her Grand Slam match winning streak to 10. Her fourth-round match will be against 22nd-seeded Vera Zvonareva, who rolled to a 6-1, 6-2 upset of No. 13 Ana Ivanovic in her Saturday match.

Top seed Maria Sharapova cruised into the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday with a straightforward victory over Anastassia Rodionova.

US Open champion Sharapova was taken to three long sets by Camille Pin in blistering conditions on Tuesday but had no such problems against her countrywoman, romping home 6-0 6-3 in just 58 minutes to set up a meeting with 30th seed Tathiana Garbin.

The Italian earlier beat Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic 6-1 7-5.

Maria Sharapova has been listed as the 11/5 favorite in the 2007 Australian Open January 28. Sharapova will enter a grand slam tournament as the top seed for only the second time, as she replaces No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Pending further withdrawals, the Open field will include eight former world No. 1s, 18 of the top 20 women and all the top 20 men, including Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who was unseeded during his surprise run to last year’s final but returns 12 months later as the No. 11, according to The Age.

Henin-Hardenne, cited personal problems for backing out of the Australian Open.

Sharapova will certainly be a big draw this year. She is the reigning US Open champion, after defeating Henin Hardenne in the 2006 final, and she’s the highest paid female athlete.

Maria Sharapova yesterday sent a shudder through the tennis industry when she foreshadowed following Kim Clijsters’ lead by retiring as young as 24.

Sharapova, 19, said that despite her reputation as one of the most dedicated young players, “tennis isn’t everything” and she looked forward to the day when she became a mother.
The Russian is the leading endorsement earner in tennis with the retirement of Andre Agassi and could earn up to $40 million this year from a career which officials would like to see run into her 30s.

The top seed for tomorrow’s Australian Open, Sharapova can reach the No.1 ranking for a second time by at least matching her achievements in making the semi-finals for the past two years.

“As long as I have the motivation, I’ll be playing, but I definitely think there are a lot of other things in life than tennis,” Sharapova said.

“I want to have a family, of course. I want to try other things in my career.

“But I can definitely see myself retiring at that age. It’s hard to think when you’re going to stop.

“I’m definitely enjoying what I’m doing right now.

“I love the feeling of going on the court and trying to get myself better. I still have that motivation to work hard.”

Sharapova plays France’s Camille Pin, ranked No.61, first up in Melbourne and is seeded to play Clijsters or triple Australian Open champion Martina Hingis in the semi-finals.

Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova topped the lists of seeded players at the Australian Open, with organizers sticking to the world rankings.

Federer, the defending champion, is aiming for his 10th Grand Slam singles title and has been atop the men’s rankings since February 2004.

Sharapova moved to the top of the women’s seedings list at Melbourne Park after No. 1-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne withdrew from the tournament due to personal reasons.

Sharapova was seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam tournament only once before _ at the 2005 U.S. Open.

“I don’t see it as putting any extra pressure on me,” Sharapova said. “Whatever you are seeded you’ve just got to go out and play your matches.”

Defending Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo was seeded second.

U.S. Open champion and world number two Maria Sharapova will lead a strong Russian challenge in next week’s Australian Open.

The 19-year-old Siberian heads a powerful Russian contingent which also includes world number four Svetlana Kuznetsova, sixth-ranked Nadia Petrova and eighth-ranked Elena Dementieva.

After triumphing at Flushing Meadows for her second grand slam title four months ago, Sharapova is eager to add the Australian Open crown to her impressive trophy case…

Belgium’s Kim Clijsters kicked off her final season the best way she could Saturday, beating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 7-6 (8) in the final of the Champions Challenge.

In a duel between the last two U.S. Open champions, Clijsters rallied from 2-3 down to win the first set with an ace.

Sharapova, the world No. 2, missed a backhand to give Clijsters the break in the first game of the second set. The Russian used heavy hitting to break back in the fourth game to tie it at 2.

Clijsters’ ground strokes were more accurate, but she struggled with her serving. She double faulted on break point in the sixth game to give Sharapova a 4-2 lead.

At 6-6, Sharapova squandered a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker with three consecutive errors.

Clijsters hit a backhand winner to save set point, a mishit backhand by Sharapova gave her match point, then the Belgian converted by charging the net and hitting a forehand volley winner.

Sharapova, who is using the Champions Challenge as her only preparation for the Australian Open, said she isn’t worried about her form.

“You’re never going to guarantee a win in every single match,” she said. “At some points in the match I felt a little bit flat. I’d like to get myself going. Other than that, I’m happy with the match I played here.”