FOXNews.com: Sharapova, Kvitova will clash in French Open semis

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Sharapova, Kvitova will clash in French Open semis Jun 6th 2012, 15:45 Paris, France –  Former top-ranked star Maria Sharapova and reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova were Wednesday's quarterfinal winners at the 2012 French Open. The second-seeded Sharapova routed 23rd seed Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-2, 6-3 in 74 minutes on Court Chatrier, while the fourth-seeded Czech lefthander Kvitova came from behind to stave off Kazakhstani qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 on Court Lenglen. The three-time major champion Sharapova and Kvitova will do battle in the semifinals Thursday on the famed red clay at Roland Garros. Kvitova captured her first career major title last year by beating Sharapova in the Wimbledon finale. Sharapova piled up seven service breaks, compared to three for Kanepi on Day 11 in Paris. The 25-year-old Russian, who needs a French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, will appear in her second straight and third overall semi at Roland Garros. She has never reached the French final. Sharapova was this year's Australian Open runner-up to current world No. 1 star Victoria Azarenka. Kvitova trailed Shvedova 2-4 in the final set Wednesday before righting the ship with four straight game wins to close out their round-of-eight match. The powerful Czech converted on her second match point when Shvedova sent one final backhand wide of the court. The 22-year-old Kvitova overcame the 24-year-old Shvedova in 1 hour, 53 minutes by swatting 24 more winners (38-14) than her Kazakhstani counterpart. Shvedova, who toppled defending French Open champion Li Na here on Monday, was appearing in her second Roland Garros quarterfinal in three years (0-2). Kvitova will now appear in her first-ever French Open and fourth career Grand Slam semifinal (1-2). Sharapova and Kvitova will meet for a sixth time on Thursday, with the Russian leading their lifetime series, 3-2. Sharapova is 2-0 against the Czech slugger this year, with semifinal victories at the Aussie Open and on some clay in Stuttgart back in April. The two women will meet for the third time in the last four Slams. Thursday's other semifinal will pit sixth-seeded U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur against 21st-seeded Italian Sara Errani. The Aussie Stosur is a perfect 5-0 lifetime against the 25-year-old Errani, including a straight- set victory in Rome just last month. Errani, who already owns three clay-court titles this season, beat a pair of former French Open champs in Ana Ivanovic (2008) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009) in the third and fourth round here, respectively. The 28-year-old Stosur was the French Open runner-up two years ago. This year's first-time French Open champ will pocket $1.5 million.

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