Maria Sharapova yesterday reached her third French Open semi-final where she will take on Petra Kvitova, the Czech who crushed her in last year’s Wimbledon final.

Russian second seed Sharapova, who was also a semi-finalist in 2007 and 2011, eased past Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-3 while fourth-seeded Kvitova ended Kazakh qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova’s dream run with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win.

“I am happy to be back in the semi-finals. I love coming back here to challenge myself to go further in the tournament,” said Sharapova, who can reclaim the world number one spot if she gets to tomorrow’s final.

On another chilly, gloomy day in the French capital, Sharapova and Kanepi, who made the quarter-finals in 2008, exchanged breaks in the first two games before the Russian picked up two more in the third and seventh games.

Kanepi saved two set points in the eighth game, but was powerless on the third when Sharapova un-leashed a fierce serve down the middle which the Estonian could only deflect into the stands.

Sharapova then squandered the opportunity to serve out the match in the eighth game of the second set when she was broken to love, but it was a brief respite for the 26-year-old Estonian who ballooned a forehand wide to hand Sharapova the tie in the next.

Kvitova reached her first French Open semi-final with a battling victory over world number 142 Shvedova who had knocked out defending champion Li Na in the fourth round.

Shvedova was bidding to become the first qualifier to make the last four at Roland Garros and she got off to a roaring start against Kvitova and was even 4-2 ahead in the deciding set before she wilted.

Kvitova held in the seventh game of the decider and immediately put pressure on Shvedova’s serve to level the match at 4-4, followed by a crucial hold.

Serving at 4-5, nerves got the better of Shvedova, allowing the world no.4 to convert her second match point for a place in the semi-final.

Today’s other semi-final sees Australia’s Samantha Stosur taking on Sara Errani, of Italy.