Saturday, August 5 2006 14:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

San Diego: Second-seeded Maria Sharapova mowed down Mary Pierce 6-2, 6-3 Friday, winning six straight games en route to booking a semi-final berth in the 1.34 million-dollar WTA hardcourt tournament.

Sharapova, her game rising to the occasion after three weeks away in the wake of Wimbledon, needed just 58 minutes to oust the defending champion.

She booked a meeting with surging Swiss Patty Schnyder, who reached her second semi-final in as many weeks with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Elena Dementieva.

Schnyder, runner-up last weekend at Stanford to Kim Clijsters, pounced on more than 40 unforced errors from Dementieva, one of three Russians who reached the last eight.

The fifth-seeded Schnyder, 27, improved her record this season to 33 wins, 15 defeats, with two runner-up finishes her best performances in 2006.

"I was feeling the ball nicely and just playing my game," said the Swiss, who is writing a book with her husband which is due out next summer.

"It's great to be doing so well early in the hardcourt season. "I'm enjoying my tennis a lot," he said.

Sharapova took control against sixth-seeded Pierce at 2-2 in the opening set, reeling off six games on the trot.

The Russian was never seriously threatened by Pierce, whose movement appeared to be hindered by heavy taping on each thigh.

The 31-year-old Frenchwoman was playing her first event after missing six months with a tendon injury in her right foot.

Sharapova now leads their head-to-head series 3-1, her only loss coming at the 2004 US Open.

She also stands 2-1 against Schnyder.

"In the first set I got up and early break, but we had to feel each other out," Sharapova said.

"I got my rhythm and lifted my game," she said.

"I'm excited to be in the semi-finals, I've played three good matches so far," she said.

Czech Nicole Vaidisova will reach a career-first top 10 ranking on Monday after reaching the final four with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

The young pair traded 11 breaks of serve in their struggle.

In the evening match, top seed Clijsters was facing Martina Hingis, who is playing the tournament for the first time since 2001.