Maria Sharapova will hope to go one better than last year and reach the final of the French Open for the first time after coming through her quarter-final against Kaia Kanepi this afternoon.
The number two seed broke in the opening game but double faulted twice in her first service game to hand back the break.
Estonian Kanepi saved three break points in the next but couldn't stop Sharapova securing the third straight break of the match.
This time the Russian held to love to take a 3-1 lead before breaking again in the seventh game to take a 5-2 lead and serving out the next to take the opening set.
Kanepi was not to be disheartened and broke at the first opportunity in the second to take a 2-0 lead.
However, the 23rd seed couldn't streak away and was pegged back by Sharapova, who took the next five games to suddenly come within a game of the match.
Kanepi staved off defeat for a game by breaking to make it 5-3 but she could do little to prevent the former Wimbledon champion blitzing to victory in the next.
The 25-year-old will face either unseeded Yaroslava Shvedova or Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the last four at Roland Garros.
Pascal Lemesre
