Kerber stuns Sharapova to reach Paris semifinals

PARIS (AP) -- Top-seeded Maria Sharapova was ousted from the Open GDF Suez on Friday, beaten by Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

Kerber, a U.S. Open semifinalist, will next play Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium or Mona Barthel of Germany.

Kerber broke serve three times in the first set and rallied from 3-1 down in the second, clinching victory when the Russian hit a forehand long.

Kerber earned her first win over a top 10 player.

"It's amazing, it's my first top-5 win,'' Kerber said. "I was knowing before the match that I have nothing to lose. So I was going out there and really tried to play from the first point my best tennis. I'm very happy that I beat her and I'm now in the semis.''

Sharapova led 4-2 in the first set and converted only three of 11 break points, while Kerber capitalized on all her five break chances.

"It was a tough day because my opponent played really well,'' Sharapova said. "When I did have the opportunities, I just didn't take them today.

"I wasn't as aggressive as I would have liked to be against her,'' added Sharapova, who made 33 unforced errors. "She's someone that also likes to go in and has a good amount of power. And she just used that to her advantage much more than I did.''

Sharapova won their only previous meeting, a 6-1, 6-2 rout in the third round of the Australian Open last month. But Kerber was not as much impressed this time.

"In Australia, that was my first match against her,'' Kerber said. "I think I was a little bit shocked to play against her because she's a great player. And here, I was trying to play aggressive and be tough in every point.''

Kerber is part of a new German generation that has been blossoming lately. Five Germans are ranked in the top 50 this season for the first time since February 1996.

"She's starting to really break through and also being a lefty gives her a bit of an edge as there are not too many,'' Sharapova said.

Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic also advanced, rallying to beat sixth-seeded Julia Goerges of Germany 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. Zakopalova, who reached her first semifinals since the Korea Open last September, will next face second-seeded Marion Bartoli of France or Roberta Vinci of Italy.

Zakopalova won seven straight games in sealing the second set and taking a 5-0 lead in the third. She ended the match when the German hit a forehand return long.

Goerges took a medical timeout at 4-0 in the final set to have her left thigh massaged.

She initially broke for a 2-0 lead and took the first set when Zakopalova netted a forehand. But Zakopalova evened the match when Goerges dropped serve at 6-5, hitting a forehand that caught the tape before dropping out.

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