Serena advances to face Sharapova

MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams shrugged off the searing heat and beat second-ranked Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-2 today to set up a semifinal showdown against Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open.

Williams, who won the championship in 2003 but couldn’t defend the title last year because of a knee injury, slammed 23 winners and needed just 71 minutes to beat Mauresmo.

“I feel great,” she said. “I played really well — I was just really focused.”

Williams converted breakpoint chances twice in each set against Mauresmo, who had 27 unforced errors and was hampered by a thigh injury.

Williams didn’t win a major title in 2004, losing the Wimbledon final — as the two-time defending champion — to Sharapova.

Russians have won the last three Grand Slam titles, and two of those champions met earlier today in a quarterfinal at Melbourne Park.

Sharapova overcame U.S. Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, with both players struggling in the heat.

Kuznetsova failed to hold any of her last eight service games and gave the 17-year-old Sharapova a match point with a double-fault.

Sharapova, whose screeching increased with every shot, whipped a running forehand crosscourt winner to close out the match in 2 hours, 17 minutes. She dropped her racket and flung both arms in the air.

On Monday, Venus Williams’ Grand Slam drought continued. Facing three match points, she stumbled chasing a ball, and her off-balance forehand flopped into the net, giving Alicia Molik a 7-5, 7-6 (3) upset in the fourth round.

On the men’s side, No. 4 Marat Safin beat 20th-seeded Dominik Hrbaty 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in the first of the men’s quarterfinals earlier today.