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Sharapova faces Rezai in Istanbul

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ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Russian top seed Maria Sharapova reached the semifinals of the WTA Istanbul tournament with a hard-won victory over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday.

The world number two beat the seventh-seeded Pole 6-2 3-6 6-0, but a shoulder injury that kept her out since March appeared to hamper her days before the French Open.

"My shoulder is still aching a little bit. Let's see how I will do tomorrow," she said of Friday's semifinal against France's Aravane Rezai, whom she described as "a young player who has nothing to lose against me."

Radwanska, 18, mounted a spirited challenge against Sharapova in the second set, breaking her three times.

Sharapova came back in the third set but she had to fight hard for each point as Radwanska never let up the pressure.

"My opponent was really very tough," Sharapova said. "There were lots of ups and downs in the game."

Rezai, who ousted fourth-seeded Venus Williams, continued her winning form by defeating another American, Meghann Shaughnessy, 1-6 6-1 6-4.

In Friday's other semifinal, second-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia will face Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko, seeded five.

Dementieva struggled in her quarterfinal match against Catalina Castano of Colombia, but eventually prevailed 1-6 6-4 6-4.

Bondarenko reached the semis without putting up a fight as her rival, third seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, pulled out of because of a right thigh injury.

"I decided to withdraw from the tournament after the pain in my right thigh muscle increased during the night and continued this morning," Schnyder said.

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