Maria Sharapova has comfortably seen off the challenge of Iveta Benesova to remain on course for a potential final against Jelena Jankovic at the Pan Pacific Open in Japan.
The Russian former world No 1, champion in 2005 but unseeded this time around, shrugged off a service break in each set before securing a 6-4, 7-5 victory to advance into the semi-finals.
Sharapova said: "I feel like it's almost automatic again. Figuring things out and being patient. It didn't come easy to me at first.
"The goal is to! be aggressive no matter what the situation is. It's about execution and not making errors when you have to step up and win big points."
Seventh seed Jankovic, another former world No 1, powered her way through to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Marion Bartoli, putting an end to her losing streak against the French 14th seed.
"Sometimes I dropped service games but I held many of them, and broke her serve a couple of times. I thought I did quite well," said Jankovic, reducing her record against Bartoli to 4-5.
"She is a good returner. Sometimes I hit good serves, but she broke back and used my power. So I tried to hit so hard first serves and mixed it up at times, which was the difference. I put pressure on her when I was returning."
In the semi-finals on Friday, Sharapova will play either Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland or Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, while Jankovic will meet the winner of the tie between C! hina's Li Na and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
