<p>Maria Sharapova eased into the semifinals of Stuttgart’s WTA tournament after seeing off qualifier Anett Kontaveit on Friday for her third-straight win on her comeback after a 15-month doping ban.<br /><br />The 30-year-old five-time Grand Slam winner has yet to drop a set in Stuttgart and powered past Estonia’s Kontaveit, ranked 73rd, for a 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal win in one hour, 23 minutes.<br /><br />This was another impressive display from the Russian, who hit four aces, 28 winners and just two double faults, while she converted five of her six break points.<br /><br />“I served quite well and held my serve which gave me confidence, so I’m happy,” said Sharapova.<br />“We haven’t played each other before, so the first six games were just about working each other out.<br />“I kept myself in good shape, because once you lose it, it’s hard to get it back,” she added when asked about her fitness on court after 15 months out.<br /><br />The former world number one will now play either France’s Kristina Mladenovic or Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in Saturday’s semifinal.<br /><br />Murray, Nadal through<br /><br />In Barcelona Open, Andy Murray gained revenge on Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas but was pushed all the way in a gruelling three-hour encounter 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to make the semifinals on Friday.<br /><br />Spain’s Rafael Nadal defeated Hyeon Chung 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 to advance to the last-four stage. <br />Ramos-Vinolas beat the world number one on Murray's return from an elbow injury in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters last week.<br /><br />Murray, who accepted a late wildcard to the event in the Catalan capital to gain match practice ahead of next month’s French Open, fought well to edge out the world number 19 in a final set tiebreak.<br /><br />The Wimbledon champion faces Dominic Thiem in Saturday’s semis after the Austrian ended Japanese lucky loser Yuichi Sugita's unlikely run to the quarters 6-1, 6-2.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Maria Sharapova eased into the semifinals of Stuttgart’s WTA tournament after seeing off qualifier Anett Kontaveit on Friday for her third-straight win on her comeback after a 15-month doping ban.<br /><br />The 30-year-old five-time Grand Slam winner has yet to drop a set in Stuttgart and powered past Estonia’s Kontaveit, ranked 73rd, for a 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal win in one hour, 23 minutes.<br /><br />This was another impressive display from the Russian, who hit four aces, 28 winners and just two double faults, while she converted five of her six break points.<br /><br />“I served quite well and held my serve which gave me confidence, so I’m happy,” said Sharapova.<br />“We haven’t played each other before, so the first six games were just about working each other out.<br />“I kept myself in good shape, because once you lose it, it’s hard to get it back,” she added when asked about her fitness on court after 15 months out.<br /><br />The former world number one will now play either France’s Kristina Mladenovic or Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in Saturday’s semifinal.<br /><br />Murray, Nadal through<br /><br />In Barcelona Open, Andy Murray gained revenge on Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas but was pushed all the way in a gruelling three-hour encounter 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to make the semifinals on Friday.<br /><br />Spain’s Rafael Nadal defeated Hyeon Chung 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 to advance to the last-four stage. <br />Ramos-Vinolas beat the world number one on Murray's return from an elbow injury in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters last week.<br /><br />Murray, who accepted a late wildcard to the event in the Catalan capital to gain match practice ahead of next month’s French Open, fought well to edge out the world number 19 in a final set tiebreak.<br /><br />The Wimbledon champion faces Dominic Thiem in Saturday’s semis after the Austrian ended Japanese lucky loser Yuichi Sugita's unlikely run to the quarters 6-1, 6-2.<br /><br /></p>