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| Russia's Wimbledon champion
Maria Sharapova returns a forehand against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia-Montenegro during their
quarter final of the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing
September 24, 2004. (Reuters) |
Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova swept into the
semi-finals of the China Open on Friday when opponent Jelena Jankovic
retired hurt in the first set with an ankle injury.
The 17-year-old Russian third seed will meet compatriot Svetlana
Kuznetsova after the US Open champion beat Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-4 6-2.
Sharapova was cruising 5-2 when Jankovic of Serbia and Montenegro took
a medical time out and threw in the
towel down 40-15 in the eighth game.
Jankovic, seeded seventh, said she had badly twisted her right ankle
during her second-round win over Japan's Shinobu Asagoe on Wednesday.
"I'm really disappointed... I was hurting and couldn't play balls left
and right, I couldn't really move," the former junior world number one
told reporters.
"Maria did what she had to do, she moved me around."
Sharapova was blisteringly accurate from the base line, pinpointing strong shots that
Jankovic could not chase down.
"I was happy to play a very good set. Though she was injured, we did
have some good points," Sharapova said, calling Jankovic's injury very
unfortunate.
"For me, it's an advantage that the second round was easy. I liked the
way I was playing and today too...I'm still enjoying myself, that's the most
important thing," Sharapova added.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-09-23 15:57