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Wimbledon: Maria Sharapova advances to semifinals

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Maria Sharapova has made it to the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time since 2006, beating Dominika Cibulkova on Tuesday with a dominant performance of both baseline power and serving perseverance.

Sharapova took one hour exactly to overpower Slovakia’s Cibulkova 6-1, 6-1. The 5-foot-3 Cibulkova had upset top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki on Monday. Sharapova will meet German wild card Sabine Lisicki in one women’s semifinal.

“It’s an honor,” Sharapova said afterward. “It’s been a few years since I got past the fourth round, and now I’m in the semifinals with a chance to take it a step further.”

Sharapova, of Russia, won the first of her three major titles here in 2004 when she was a surprise winner, at age 17, over Serena Williams. Since then, Sharapova has won the U.S. Open and Australian Open but has won no majors since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2008.

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It took Sharapova only 27 minutes to win the first set, and her set point came when Cibulkova wildly knocked a forehand long. Sharapova’s fiancée, former Los Angeles Laker Sasha Vujacic, waved one finger in understated celebration. He was more obviously clapping when Sharapova saved a break point in the final game and then, with some big serving, finally forced Cibulkova into a harmless forehand well off the court.

“Come on,” Sharapova shouted as Vujacic, now a member of the New Jersey Nets, stood and cheered.

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-- Diane Pucin, in London

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