Brisbane: Top seeds Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic booked their places in the semifinals of the Brisbane International in vastly contrasting fashion on Thursday. While world number two Sharapova cruised past Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-3, Ivanovic was forced to recover from a horror start before edging Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Kanepi, the 2012 Brisbane champion, came out blazing against Ivanovic. She broke the Serbian’s first three service games to lead 5-0 and 40-30 before surrendering her next two serves.
Sharapova was in ominous form on Pat Rafter Arena as she overpowered Suarez Navarro in just 68 minutes. The top seeded Russian hit 32 winners in the match, 20 of those from forehands, as she set up a semifinal against unseeded Ukranian Elina Svitolina. Sharapova was all business on Thursday against a player who beat her in 2014. “I’m always a little bit aware of girls that I lose to. I certainly know that she’s capable of playing really well, plays defence great and makes you hit a lot of balls,” Sharapova said.
“Especially on a slower court like here, you just don’t want to give her that much time.” Svitolina earlier came from a set and 0-3 down to upset third-seeded German Angelique Kerber 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. In the men’s event, Swiss legend Roger Federer won his 997th match on the ATP Tour, but not before surviving an almighty scare from Australian wildcard John Millman at the Brisbane International. Playing his first match of the year after receiving a first round bye, world number two Federer had to come from a set and a break down to overhaul Millman 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Earlier, Canada’s Milos Raonic fired off 17 aces in his 6-3, 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan.
