Russian star tennis player Maria Sharapova won over the No. 5 seed and defending champion Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 on Wednesday, which has extended her unbeaten 2008 record to 18-0 and sent her directly into the women semifinals of the 2.1 million dollars Pacific Life Open.

Australian Open champion Sharapova fired six aces in the one hour 43 minute victory, after also wining in Doha. World number five Sharapova dropped her first three service games, allowing Hantuchova to build a 5-2 lead, but came back to 5-4, and after saving a set point on her serve and won the tie-break.

While Sharapova won the WTA Tier One tournament in 2006, Hantuchova won the title twice, the first time in 2002.

Sharapova, who is the fourth seeded Australian Open champion, is now set to meet No. 2 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals.

Kuznetsova, who was defeated by Hantuchova last year, has now eliminated Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, No 10 seed, 6-2, 6-4 in her quarterfinal contest.

The other two semifinals participants will be decided on Thursday, when the other quarterfinals will take place, with top-seeded Aussie Open runner-up Ana Ivanovic facing 12-seeded Vena Zvonareva and third-seeded Jelena Jankovic playing against the 24th-seeded California native Lindsay Davenport, who is a two-time Indian Wells champion and four-time runner-up.

The prize for the winner of the tournament is 332.000 dollars.