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Maria Sharapova won comfortably 6-1 6-4 against compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova to advance to the WTA Tour Championships semi-finals. She joins Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne.
The taller Russian did not have any real trouble in the opening set, racing to victory with Kuznetsova only able to hold one game.
"It was really good," Sharapova said after the match. "It's always important to get off to a great start.
"You have to be strong from the beginning, that's what it is all about."
Sharapova sent a number of winners past Kuznetsova in the first set, but the latter could only muster a couple throughout the whole match and struggled on her serve.
"I knew I had to concentrate on my service games," Sharapova continued.
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In the second set, Kuznetsova found some fighting spirit and, broken early on, hit back. She still found it hard going against the imposing frame and powerful strokes of Sharapova however, and at 4-4, dropped her serve to give her opponent a chance to serve for the match.
"I'm very happy with the way I played today," she smiled. "I'm excited to be in the semi-finals. I love the atmosphere in Madrid. The fans are very supportive of the players."
Asked who she prefers to play in the semis, Justine Henin-Hardenne or Amelie Mauresmo, she answered that she did not mind.
"It doesn't matter who I play against. Either way, I hope to go out there and do my best.
"Personally, I would prefer to win the tournament than to finishing as number one [in the world, above Mauresmo]. That would be amazing."
Maria won the WTA Tour Championships in 2004.
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