MELBOURNE, Australia - Maria Sharapova beat Ekaterina Makarova in an all-Russian Australian Open quarterfinal on Wednesday afternoon, firing 26 winners - half of them off her forehand wing - to move through, 62 63.
With one of her worst match-ups out of the way - Makarova had beaten Serena Williams the round before - Sharapova was in command from start to finish, her serve in check and groundstrokes sharp as she stormed out to a 62 52 lead. She had a little trouble closing it out, missing her first match point in that game and two more in the next one - all on backhand errors - but she finished it.
"I thought she would play really well coming off a big win, probably the biggest in her career, so it was important for me to not give her much of a look at the open court," Sharapova said. "I wanted to take advantage of my game and improve from the previous match. I was solid today and stepped up when I had to."
"Maria was too good," said Makarova, who was playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. "Maybe I couldn't show my best tennis because she was pushing me all the time. I also missed a lot of easy balls - I felt I needed to hit harder."
The No.4-seeded Sharapova is now into the 13th Grand Slam semifinal of her career, and fifth at the Australian Open - she is 2-2 in her first four. She will play No.2 seed Petra Kvitova, who won her quarterfinal match earlier.
"I've lost to her the last couple of times, obviously the big one in Wimbledon,," Sharapova said. "I think she is the one to beat right now. She's playing the best tennis in her career, coming off so many wins last year. I'm looking forward to the match-up - I don't like losing so many times in a row, so I'll try my best."
Kvitova's win came against unheralded Italian Sara Errani, who was in her very first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Sharapova, meanwhile, was playing her 16th - a significant disparity given Sharapova and Errani were born 10 days apart.
"I always say everyone achieves different things at different times in their career. Everyone has a different path to their success. Everyone has a different path in their careers. Not one person is the same. Some start playing tennis later, some become professional later. Some play juniors, some don't.
"It doesn't really matter. It's maybe more of a story in a way. I've personally taken the only route I've known, and everyone else has their own ways.
"I'm sure when I was 17 years old and someone said I'd be playing for another eight years, I would be like, 'Yeah, you're not going to see me at a press conference at 25 years old.' But years go on. I missed a year in my career. A few weeks before the tournament I woke up and was just so happy to be going back on the court. I felt so fresh, full of energy, with a really good perspective.
"I see myself playing this sport for many more years because it's something that gives me the most pleasure in my life. It helps when you know you're good at something, and you can always keep working hard and improving it too."
Sharapova was then told Jimmy Connors played until he was 40. "I can guarantee right now you're not going to see me here at 40 years old," she smiled. "If I'm here at 40, I have major problems. Oh goodness."
