Sharapova shrugs off injury scare to reach semi-finals

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova overcame an injury scare to secure her place in the semi-finals of the DFS Classic in Birmingham.

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova overcame an injury scare to secure her place in the semi-finals of the DFS Classic in Birmingham.

Sharapova called for a medical time-out early in the second set in order to have physiotherapy on her right thigh.

And although she appeared to make a full recovery, she lost four of the next five games to drop a set for the second successive match.

Sharapova then re-discovered her best form to rip through the deciding set in just 26 minutes.

Sharapova, who was afterwards made a life member of the Edgbaston Priory Club, is now into her seventh semi-final of 2005 and on course to successfully defend the title she won at her second attempt 12 months ago.

But it was a far from convincing performance by the Florida-based Siberian, who reached last year's final without dropping a set.

She twice lost her footing on the slippery baseline and uncharacteristically produced more double faults than aces.

Daniilidou, a semi-finalist at Edgbaston two years ago when she was 14th in the world, has slipped to 87th in the rankings and lost 6-0 6-4 to Sharapova in Miami earlier this year.

But that defeat came at a time when the Greek 22-year-old was still recovering from wrist surgery and, having put out two seeds on her way to the last eight, provided further proof today that she is on her way back.

Her persistent returns and varied shot-play forced Sharapova into a series of unforced errors which prompted the champion to look to father Yuri in the packed stands for inspiration.

It was distinctly lacking in the second set in which Sharapova twice dropped her serve, her noise levels increasing with every blunder.

But, after a bathroom break, a fully pumped-up Sharapova went through the gears and destroyed her opponent with some trademark fierce hitting from the baselines.

She double-faulted on match point for the second successive match but was then swift to wrap up victory, to cheers of the Birmingham faithful and loyal father Yuri who was on his feet long before the end.