INDIAN WELLS – Three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova rallied to defeat fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 to reach the Indian Wells semi-finals Thursday.
Sharapova needed three hours and five minutes to dispatch Kirilenko in their first meeting since the opening round of the 2010 Australian Open, which Kirilenko won in three sets. Sharapova will face another former Indian Wells winner, Ana Ivanovic, in the semis after the Serbian eased past a stricken Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-4 in a rematch of their quarter-final contest from last year.
Second seed Sharapova had cruised through her first three matches at the joint WTA and ATP event without dropping a set but she quickly ran into trouble Thursday against Kirilenko -- who had won eight of her previous nine three-set matches this year. Kirilenko is getting a reputation as the WTA Tour's iron woman. This was the third straight three setter for Kirilenko and the second time in the tournament she has gone past three hours in a match.
She became the first player in the tournament to take a set off Sharapova, breaking the former world No. 1 twice in winning the opening frame in 43 minutes.
"She started very well, but it was also a poor start from my end," Sharapova said. Sharapova held serve in a marathon fifth game of the second set to go up 3-2. She survived several break points including one by hammering a 166 kph (103 mph) ace down the middle. It was one of six aces for Sharapova in the match.
Sharapova dropped the first two games of the second set, but then won four in a row to climb back into the match. Kirilenko had to overcome a hindrance call to the win the 10th game of the second set and level the set at 5-5.
Kirilenko led 30-15 on her serve when chair umpire Marija Cicak of Croatia deducted a point from her for tapping her racquet on the ground three times in quick succession while Sharapova was hitting a shot. Kirilenko went on to win the next point.
Sharapova broke Kirilenko's serve to win the second set after Kirilenko had saved two set points, and in the third Kirilenko double faulted on Sharapova's first match point, her sixth double fault of the match.
Ivanovic's victory over Bartoli was something of a grudge match. France's Bartoli reached the semi-finals in Indian Wells last year with a close 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over Ivanovic. Bartoli went on to the final where she lost to Caroline Wozniacki. But Bartoli wasn't 100 percent. Trailing 1-2 in the second set, she asked for the doctor to come onto the court.
She was in discomfort for the remainder of the match, bending over and grabbing her stomach between serves, apparently battling the stomach virus that has prompted several players to pull out of the tournament or retire from matches.
"When I went on the court I was very dizzy and it was very hard for me to catch my breath." Bartoli said.
Top seed and defending champ Novak Djokovic stepped up his bid for his third Indian Wells title by easing past 12th seed Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday.
World number one Djokovic has now beaten Almagro in all three career meetings and he has reached the Indian Wells semis for the third year in a row.
Djokovic, who has won the last three Grand Slams, is coming off one of the best years in the history of tennis, as he started off 2011 with 41 consecutive match wins. He is now 14-1 in 2012.
"I have had a lot of success here in the past and won it twice," said Djokovic. "Last year was incredible. I may not be able to repeat what I did but I will try my best."
The Serbian next faces American 11th seed John Isner who defeated Gilles Simon of France 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 in the other quarter-final. Djokovic hammered five aces and won 77 percent of his first serve points in the 82 minute match.
"What made me happy was my serve," he said. "I served well. I didn't lose many points on my service games in both sets, and that's something that I have been working on. I have been trying to get more free points on the first serves."
Djokovic broke Almagro twice in taking the opening set in 30 minutes but had a tougher time in the second as Almagro started to connect with his first serve.
Tied 3-3 in the second set and serving, Almagro hit a backhand winner to reach game point, which he closed out with an ace.
But Djokovic won the next three games, breaking Almagro's serve in the ninth game and then served for the victory. He clinched the match on his first match point with a backhand winner.
Almagro is one of the busiest players on the ATP Tour this year as this was his seventh tournament. He captured his 11th career singles title in Sao Paulo last month.
Isner, 26, has now won both career meetings against Simon, including a three hour, 39-minute battle in the fourth round of the 2011 US Open.
Isner fired 11 aces, had three double faults and won 69 percent of his first-serve points.
Djokovic says it doesn't get easier from here on.
Djokovic's win keeps alive the prospect that the game's big three -- Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal -- could make it to the semi-finals.