LINZ, Austria, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Reigning women's U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova Friday qualified for the semifinals at the Generali Open ladies tennis tournament in Linz, Austria.
She beat quarterfinal opponent, fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, giving the former world No. 1 player a chance to win a title for the second straight week.
She won the Zurich Open in Switzerland last week, after finishing as the runner-up the week before at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
Also Friday, third-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland stopped Russia's Vera Zvonareva, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, and fourth-seeded Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic beat sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, after hitting 20 service aces.
Saturday's semifinals pit Sharapova against Schnyder and Vaidisova against No. 2 seed Nadia Petrova of Russia, the defending champion, who trounced Australia's Samantha Stosur, 6-1, 6-3, in the quarterfinals.
