Maria Sharapova booked her place in the WTA Championships semi-finals with a 5-7 6-2 6-2 victory over world number two Svetlana Kuznetsova in Madrid.

The Russian, a winner of these Championships in 2004, earned her second victory in the red group, after beating Daniela Hantuchova on the tournament's opening day, and advances to the semi-finals in the process.

Sharpova's victory means that 20-year-old Serbian Ana Ivanovic, who has also beaten Kuznetsova and Hantuchova at the season-ending indoor hardcourt event, will join the Russian in qualifying for the last four out of the red group.

Defending champion and world number one Justine Henin has already earned her place in semi-finals alongside Anna Chakvetadze with two victories in the yellow group.

Kuznetsova played even tennis with the former world number one in the opening set, trading breaks at the start of the match before both women held through to the 12th game.

Trailing 5-6 and serving to send the opening set to a tie-break, Sharapova double faulted at 40-15 ahead to let her compatriot back into the critical service game.

Kuznetsova then broke serve to claim the set on her first chance thanks to fabulous volley pass.

"She hurt me in the first set but I got hold of myself and stayed tough and positive which was really good," said Sharapova.

Since reaching the Australian Open final in January to claim the world number one ranking, Sharapova has dropped to sixth in the WTA rankings due to a persistent shoulder injury falling out of the top-five in the rankings for the first time in three years.

"I'm happy I didn't stay at home and quit the season," said Sharapova. "This is really good for me."

She has impressed in both of her Madrid matches, however, and came roaring back in the second set against Kuznetsova with some impressive serving and overpowering groundstrokes.

The 20-year-old Russian broke her rival in the fifth game of the second set taking advantage of a slip along the baseline from her Fed Cup team-mate with a ruthless backhand winner on break point.

Sharapova then went onto break again in the seventh after Kuznetsova gifted away the double break edge with a double fault on break point.

The former Wimbledon and US Open champion then confirmed a hold to 15 with a big forehand winner in the open court to claim her fourth straight game and the second set 6-2.

The third set went exactly the same way as the first with the two players exchanging holds of serve in the first four games, despite obvious struggles from Kuznetsova.

The 2004 US Open champion gifted the critical advantage to Sharapova in the fifth game, drilling her sixth double fault to hand her compatriot a break to love and another 3-2 edge.

In the seventh Kuznetsova dropped another 40-0 advantage on serve allowing Sharapova back to deuce with her seventh and final double fault.

The Russian number two then earned her fourth and fifth straight points on her rival's serve to claim her fifth break of the match and another 5-2 lead.

Sharapova, who did not allow a single break point in the second and third sets, then closed out the match on her first opportunity as Kuznetsova dumped a backhand error into the net to end the match in two hours and seven minutes.

Kuznetsova, the Russian number one and world number two, is now eliminated from a chance to advance to the semi-finals after chalking up her second loss of the tournament.

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Jeremy Stahl / Eurosport