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Sharapova advances to Birmingham semis
Defending champion Maria Sharapova struggled with a cold and a strained thigh but still advanced to the semifinals at the DFS Classic on Friday, beating Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.
Fifth-seeded Tatiana Golovin of France will play Sharapova in the semis after defeating Anna Chakvetadze of Russia 6-4, 7-6 (3). Third-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia-Montenegro topped Mashona Washington of the United States 6-2, 6-4, and American Laura Granville beat Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 6-4, 6-3. The top-seeded Russian needed an injury timeout in the second set to treat her right thigh. "There's no problem," Sharapova said. "Next week I will have a whole week off, so there's plenty of time to recover before Wimbledon." Sharapova begins her title defense at the Grand Slam on June 20. "I played bad for two sets and I couldn't have got any worse," Sharapova said. "I just had to pick myself up and just find a way to win. It's a big positive to win when you feel like this. I have always been mentally tough." Sharapova took offense when asked why she lacked energy. "Are you telling me I am burnt out or something?" she snapped. "It's just a bit of a cold. "That's part of the life of an athlete, traveling around the world, that you get sick. Today, energy-wise, I didn't feel great but I still went out to play tennis." Jankovic advanced in part thanks to a low, controlled topspin that consistently made Washington pop up her volley, setting up chances to hit easy winners past the American. "A top 20 player is going to go for a few more shots and take more risks and chances," said Washington, the sister of former Wimbledon finalist MaliVai Washington. "I'll handle it better next time."
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