Maria Sharapova, the defending French Open champion, will face her toughest test of the tournament to this point today in No. 3 Victoria Azarenka. Live stream the action here.
Sharapova struggled in the quarterfinals against Jelena Jankovic, losing her first set 0-6 before piecing her game back together for a 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.
"I wanted to put that chapter behind me," Sharapova said. "No matter how many errors I made or how disappointed I was with the way I started the match, I knew that I still could try to create chances out there; obviously taking them is another question. But I knew that I was capable of doing much better."
Meanwhile, Azarenka easily put away her opponent, Maria Kirilenko, in straight sets. Despite her lofty No. 3 ranking, Azarenka has never reached the semifinals of the French Open, putting her at a disadvantage against the experienced Sharapova. She is, however, experienced in facing Sharapova, against whom Azarenka is 7-5.
After surviving the stiff test from Jankovic, Sharapova said "I needed a bit more gas in my tank to finish this match off." It will be a necessity for Sharapova to have a full tank of gas from the start in the semifinals, or Azarenka will be advancing to the final to strip Sharapova of her crown.
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