Oct 28, 2006 5 min read

LINZ, Austria (AP) – Maria Sharapova, yet to lose since the start of the U.S. Open, defeated fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-6 (3), 7-5 Friday to reach the semifinals of the Generali Ladies. The top-seeded Russian is going for her fifth title of the year and will next play third-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland. Schnyder, last year’s runner-up, beat Vera Zvonareva of Russia 7-6 (2), 6-4.

Defending champion Nadia Petrova topped Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-1, 6-3 in another quarterfinal. Petrova, seeded second, will next face fourth-seeded Nicole Vaidisova. Vaidisova rode a big serve in downing sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-4.

Mary Pierce, who pulled out of her second-round match against Vera Zvonareva on Thursday, needs surgery on a ruptured ligament in her left knee. She left AKH hospital Friday and plans to be treated in France, the hospital said.

The 31-year-old Frenchwoman was injured while running behind the baseline and was carried off the court on a stretcher. The two-time Grand Slam champion has played only eight events this year because of injuries to her right foot.

Sharapova missed three set points while serving at 5-4 in the first. She led 5-2 in the second set but double-faulted twice while serving for the match and was broken.

“I didn’t know Ana’s game too well as we had never met before, but she played some amazing tennis,” Sharapova said. “I shouldn’t have let her come back in the second set. I hope to learn from that.”

Vaidisova served 20 aces against Jankovic.

“All these aces helped me a lot because I missed too many chances in the rallies,” Vaidisova said.

Petrova won seven of the first eight games and broke Stosur for a fourth time in the second set.

“The first set was easy as she didn’t make me move a lot,” Petrova said. “I am happy with my performance here, but I still have not hit top form.”

St. Petersburg Open

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Defending champion Thomas Johansson and third-seeded Mario Ancic advanced to the semifinals at the St. Petersburg Open.

Johansson defeated Wesley Moodie 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and will face Igor Kunitsyn, who topped Potito Starace 6-3, 6-2. Ancic beat Max Mirnyi 6-4, 7-5 and will meet Ernest Gulbis, who ousted Jan Hernych 7-6 (6), 6-7 (4), 6-2.

Ancic, who is vying for a berth in next month’s eight-man Masters Cup in China, broke Mirnyi at love in the ninth game of the first set. In the second set, Ancic broke Mirnyi in the 11th game to lead 6-5.

“A win in straight sets looks very convincing, but in fact it was a very tough match,” Ancic said. “Max has a powerful second serve and I had to concentrate on receiving today.”

Johansson, who had reached his first quarterfinal since injuring his eye in February, rallied from 0-40 to break in the eighth game of the third set. He hit a crosscourt forehand winner to set up break point and Moodie netted a volley on the next rally.

“He (Moodie) is one of the best servers on the ATP Tour and I tried to keep him playing from the baseline – I succeeded,” Johansson said.

The 18-year-old Gulbis, playing in his first ATP event, saved four break points before taking the first set and won five straight games in the third.

“I managed to break in the third set and Hernych then kept giving presents to me,” Gulbis said.

The 128th-ranked Kunitsyn had one break in the first set and won five straight games in the second to close it out in 67 minutes.

Lyon Grand Prix

LYON, France – Fourth-seeded Richard Gasquet of France beat 2004 champion Robin Soderling of Sweden 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the Lyon Grand Prix semifinals.

Gasquet will face another former champ, 2000 winner Arnaud Clement of France, for a berth in Sunday’s final.

Clement ousted eighth-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-3, 6-2 to stay in the hunt for his third title of the year. He has beaten Gasquet in their two matches this year – both in France at Metz and Marseille.

Seventh-seeded Xavier Malisse of Belgium defeated Robby Ginepri of the United States 6-4, 6-3. Malisse, the runner-up to Soderling in 2004, is the only non-Frenchman to reach this year’s semifinals.

He’ll meet Marc Gicquel, who upset sixth-seeded Sebastien Grosjean 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (5). The 30-year-old Gicquel is enjoying his best year on the ATP tour with a 16-10 record. Saturday’s semifinals will be the second of his career.

Swiss Indoors

BASEL, Switzerland – Roger Federer, trying to win his hometown tournament for the first time, prevailed in a marathon tiebreaker and defeated fifth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 6-3, 7-6 (14) to reach the Swiss Indoors semifinals.

The top-ranked Swiss will next play Paradorn Srichaphan, who beat seventh-seeded Jose Acasuso of Argentina for a fourth consecutive time, winning 7-6 (2), 6-3.

Second-seeded David Nalbandian lost to Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 7-6 (7), 6-2. Nalbandian will to try at next week’s Paris Masters to qualify for the Masters Cup, a year-end event the Argentine won last year.

Federer, who lost in the Swiss Indoors final in 2000 and 2001, was broken three times.

“It was surely luck some of the time,” he said. “I had to make sure to play some good points under pressure, and I did. It was a great match in the end.”

Wawrinka served 13 aces against the third-ranked Nalbandian, who beat the Swiss at the Australian and French Opens.

“I served really well,” Wawrinka said. “I think that was the key.”

Wawrinka will meet defending champion Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, who beat 18-year-old Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Gonzalez is ninth in the ATP race and is vying for another Masters Cup berth. He’s reached the final of his last two events, in Vienna, Austria, and last week in Madrid, Spain.