French Open 2014: Maria Sharapova Stages Comeback to Defeat Garbine Muguruza

Maria Sharapova called on her powers of recovery to mount a sterling comeback to defeat 20 year old Garbine Muguruza and reach the French Open semi-final at Roland Garros.

The Russian is into the last four in Paris for the fourth successive year after prevailing 1-6 7-5 6-1.

Muguruza lead by a set and 5-4 in the second before Sharapova took eight of the next nine games to book a meeting with Eugenie Bouchard.

Playing in her first grand slam quarter final, Muguruza begun unawed by the occasion and broke her illustrious opponent in the opening game and upon clinching a double break to go 4-0 ahead had seemingly put one foot in the last four.

Sharapova got on the board at last on her own serve and had a break point to halve the deficit but the Spanish-born player was unperturbed and held after a sublime forehand down the line.

It forced the Russian to serve to stay in the match with just 25 minutes played and the four time grand slam champion faulted again, producing a raft of errors and delivering the opening set to Muguruza.

The 2012 French Open champion showed signs in the second set of rediscovering her best form and she soon grabbed the initiative with an early break and after consolidating her position of authority her power game came to the fore.

Muguruza clung onto her service game after saving two break points and it worked to ratchet the pressure up on Sharapova, who saw the second set squared after two double-faults.

The 20 year old put herself within a game of the semi-final with a solid hold, only for Sharapova to respond herself and then in the next game storm into the lead herself and eventually take the second set.

At that moment it seemed that Muguruza had missed her chance and though she held in her opening service game, Sharapova took the next six games in a row to book her place in the semi-final.