For the second match in a row, the Russian lost the opening set - this time to Spain's Garbine Muguruza - 6-1.

Unseeded Muguruza, who dumped defending champion Serena Williams out of the tournament in the second round, was 5-4 up in the second set.

But Sharapova drew on her power and determination to assert her dominance.

After winning the second set 7-5 to force the match into a decider, the number seven seed broke her opponent's serve early on.

In a 14-minute fourth game, the 2012 French Open champion saw off five break points before powering to a 6-1 final set win.

Speaking of the tight fourth game in the third set, she told reporters after the match: "That was one of the most important games in the third set.

"After that game I gained more confidence.

"That was the turning point."

It was a similarly tight contest in the other women's quarter-final at Roland Garros.

Eugenie Bouchard, who made it to her first Grand Slam semi-final in Melbourne in January, was 5-2 down in the opening set against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.

But the Canadian recovered to take it to a tiebreak, which she won.

Emerging talent Eugenie Bouchard has made it through to her second straight Grand Slam semi-final ©Getty Images



Bouchard lost the second set 6-2 before again coming from a break down to take the decider 7-5.

She will play Sharapova for a place in the final on Thursday (June 5).

In the men's draw, the quarter-finals were a more straightforward affair.

Serbian Novak Djokovic overpowered Canada's Milos Raonic to win 7-5, 7-6, (7-5), 6-4.

He will play Ernests Gulbis for a place in the final.

The Latvian, who said afterwards he had played his "best match of the tournament so far", beat the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Tomorrow will see the other two men's quarter-finals, with world number one Rafael Nadal of Spain playing countryman David Ferrer in a repeat of last year's final.

Britain's Andy Murray will face home favourite Gaël Monfils.

The remaining women's quarter-finals will see Italy's Sara Errani play Germany's Andrea Petkovic, while Simona Halep of Romania - the highest seeded player left in the draw - faces Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.

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