BEIJING, Feb. 24 -- China's Li Na, who hopes to challenge for a medal at the Beijing Olympics, and Maria Sharapova, who'll be one of the favorites in the Chinese capital, both stormed into the Qatar Open semifinals on Friday.

Li got the better of her third top-20 victim in a row when she beat Jelena Jankovic, the world No. 4 from Serbia, 6-3, 6-4 to add to her wins over Anna Chakvetadze, the fifth-seeded Russian, and Shahar Peer, the 12th seeded Israeli.

The victories have carried Li to the semifinals of the US$2.5 million event in Doha, the first time she has reached this stage in a tier-one tournament. They also continued her great start to 2008 after taking six months off.

Asked why she was playing so well now, Li said: "Maybe because my husband just gave me a credit card - no I'm joking."

Li will now face Russian Vera Zvonereva while Sharapova, who brushed aside Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki 6-0, 6-1, will tackle Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland who knocked her out of the 2007 US Open.

Li's success hinged on making the first aggressive hit in the rally and striking the ball more powerfully than Jankovic, forcing her highly-rated opponent to contain and defend more often. However, in the second set it seemed that Jankovic might level things up.

Three times she had Li at 15-30 on her serve, but each time the world No. 29 from Wuhan, Hubei Province, responded with some of her best tennis.

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