Kvitova and Sharapova reach semis
Giant-killer Ekaterina Makarova was cut down to size at the Australian Open on Wednesday as Maria Sharapova strode into the semifinals at Melbourne Park.
World number 56 Makerova had slayed five-times champion Serena Williams in the fourth round with venomous backhands and dogged determination, but she was let down by an insipid serve against Sharapova, who ran out an easy 6-2 6-3 winner.
Czech Petra Kvitova bounced Italian surprise package Sara Errani out of the quarterfinals 6-4 6-4 in the day's opening match, enjoying the early overcast conditions that gave way to the more familiar strong sunshine later in the day.
The diminutive Errani would not have looked out of place in a ball-kids' uniform but measured up well against six-footer Kvitova, refusing to buckle under the Czech's brutal backhands.
Kvitova worked hard to take the first set but the world number two found herself trailing 4-1 in the second as Errani upped the tempo and started to let loose on the forehand.
Kvitova fought back to take the next five games but was her own worst enemy at times and looked exasperated after committing 44 unforced errors.
"At the beginning I was a little nervous because I knew everybody expected it to be an easy match," the 21-year-old Wimbledon champion told reporters.
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"Of course you have a little pressure on your back because you have a grand slam and everybody is expecting that you win all your matches when you play. But it's not really easy."
GRUNTING DEBATE
Kvitova is one of three women in with a chance to take over the world number one ranking from Caroline Wozniacki, who was knocked out by Kim Clijsters on Tuesday. The other two are Victoria Azarenka and Sharapova, who Kvitova beat in last year's Wimbledon final.
Sharapova will get the chance to avenge that defeat after seeing off Makarova in straight sets.
The Melbourne Park crowd have given fellow primal screamer Victoria Azarenka a hard time throughout the tournament but they were more forgiving of the Sharapova shrieks, which assaulted eardrums anywhere in the vicinity of Rod Laver Arena.
Sharapova, who won the last of her three grand slams at Melbourne Park in 2008, shrugged off the debate about her "grunting" and said she had no plans to tone it down.
"I've been the same over the course of my career. No one important enough has told me to change or do something different," she added.