Australian Open: Juggernaut Sharapova rolls into Melbourne semi-finals

Maria Sharapova serves in her quarter-final against Ekaterina Makarova during day nine of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (GETTY)

Maria Sharapova celebrates winning her quarter-final against Ekaterina Makarova on day nine of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (GETTY)

Published Tuesday, January 22, 2013

By Reuters

Maria Sharapova continued her perfect run in Australian Open quarter-finals by swatting aside Russian compatriot Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday.

Sharapova had not lost any of her previous five Australian Open quarter-final matches, a record she extended with ease against the 19th-seeded Makarova with a 6-2 6-2 victory. The pair had met in the same round last year at Melbourne Park.

The 24-year-old Makarova had beaten 11th seed Marion Bartoli and fifth seed Angelique Kerber to make the quarter-finals, but was unable to stop Sharapova's rampant march through the tournament.

Sharapova has dropped just nine games in total, the fewest number conceded by a semi-finalist at the tournament.

Monica Seles conceded just 12 games on her way to the 1991 semi-finals.

Sharapova, who won the Australian Open title in 2008, will now meet sixth seed Li Na in the semi-finals on Thursday after the Chinese upset fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 6-3 earlier on Rod Laver Arena.

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