INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 14 (UPI) -- Maria Kirilenko continued her string of three-set victories Wednesday and became the first woman to reach the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open.
Kirilenko, seeded 13th in the tournament, has played four matches in the event and has gone to three sets in all of them.
She outlasted fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova Wednesday 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 after fighting off No. 3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska Tuesday. Kirilenko has split her six career meetings with Kvitova.
Kirilenko's semifinal opponent will be No. 2-seed Maria Sharapova, who stopped sixth-seeded Sara Errani 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 in a late match Wednesday. Sharapova had to overcome eight double faults and fought off 13-of-16 break points. She managed to collect five breaks, including three in the second set., however.
Thursday's two concluding quarterfinal matches will send top-seeded Victoria Azarenka against Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber against Samantha Stosur.
