The 18-year-old Russian needed two hours to see off her Greek opponnent and also required a medical time-out in the second set for treatment on her right thigh.

And although she appeared to make a full recovery, she lost four of the next five games to drop a set for the second successive match.

But Sharapova then ripped through the deciding set in just 26 minutes.

"All credit to my opponent as she played well. I guess I just figured I had played badly for the first two sets, so in the third set I had better pick it up. I fought really hard out there," said Sharapova.

"From the beginning of the match, I wasn't playing well as had no timing and wasn't serving well. But its impossible to play your third match on grass and play unbelievable," added the Russian who has also been suffering from a cold.

"It was just one of those days, when you feel like everything is hurting and you have no energy. I just went out there and did the best I could. You take the positives away from a match like this as after all I am in the semis."