China's Li Na reached her first Grand Slam semifinal since she won the French Open Tuesday when she halted the red-hot streak of Agnieszka Radwanska at the Australian Open.

The 2011 French Open winner became the first player this year to take a set off the Polish world No.4 when she edged a tight opening set containing seven breaks of serve.

Radwanska came storming back by winning eight points in a row to take the first two games of the second set to love. But Li then rattled off five straight games before serving it out for a 7-5, 6-3 win.

Li's victory halted the hottest streak on the women's tour after Radwanska had totted up 13 straight wins, including 26 unbeaten sets, and picked up titles in Auckland and Sydney.

"She's a tough player. I felt like I was against a wall today. She can hit everywhere, but without any mistakes," said Li.

The 30-year-old has not contested a major semifinal since two years ago at the French Open, when she made history as Asia's first Grand Slam winner and created a wave of interest in tennis in her home country.

She said her experience would stand her in good stead in the last four - along with a newfound calm she has discovered since teaming with coach Carlos Rodriguez last year.

"Right now I think I've changed a little bit in my mind, because before I used to think, 'OK, if I win, who will I play, who will I be against in the fourth round or fifth round?'

"But this time I really didn't look at the draw. I really didn't think that far, I just prepared myself match by match."

Now Li has set up a semifinal with Maria Sharapova, who smashed fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-2 later on Tuesday.

Record-setting world No.2 Sharapova reached the Australian Open semifinals for the loss of just nine games.

Sharapova, who double bagelled her first two matches 6-0, 6-0, and then beat Venus Williams 6-1, 6-3 and Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-0, betters Monica Seles' Australian Open record of losing only 12 games before the semis.

Sharapova drew first blood when she broke Makarova in the third game of the first set, but Makarova immediately retrieved the break to level at two-all.

That was as close as it got. Makarova, who beat 15-time major champion Serena Williams in the fourth round at the Australian Open last year, was unable to settle, dropping serve again before Sharaporova tore through the remainder of the 31-minute opening set.

The French Open champion took unstoppable momentum into the second set and immediately skipped to a 2-0 lead. A streak of six straight games ended when Makarova finally held serve to get on the scoreboard at 1-2.

Serena Williams and defending champion Victoria Azarenka will play Sloane Stephens and Svetlana Kuznetsova respectively for a place in the semifinals on Wednesday.

AFP - Global Times