Sharapova sets up QF clash with Sara at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS: Maria Sharapova stepped it up when she had to on Tuesday to set up an Indian Wells quarter-final clash with Sara Errani, a rematch of last year's French Open final.

Russia's Sharapova defeated Errani in straight sets in the championship match at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam.

The Russian star, who won Indian Wells in 2006 and finished runner-up last year to Victoria Azarenka, started slowly against Spain's Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino but turned up the heat to win 7-5, 6-0.

Sharapova dropped her first service game to hand the Spaniard a 2-0 lead.
She then broke Arruabarrena-Vecino twice, but was broken again before winning the last three games of the opening set, from where she never looked back.

Sharapova delivered a stellar serving display in the second set, firing four of her five aces and never facing a break point.

Errani, who won the women's clay-court title in Acapulco in the build-up to Indian Wells, advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over ninth-seeded Marion Bartoli of France.(AFP)