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.