KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) Even by Roger Federer's standards, Thursday's win was easy.
Federer advanced to the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open when Gilles Simon retired with a stiff neck after losing the first three games.
It's not the way you want to move on,'' Federer said.But, look, I'll take those, because they happen quite rarely.''
His opponent Friday will be the winner of the quarterfinal Thursday night between No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 7 Tomas Berdych. Federer beat Nadal for the Key Biscayne title early in their rivalry in 2005, and they haven't played each other in the United States since.
Maria Sharapova became the first women's finalist, shaking off a slow start by winning 11 consecutive games to beat Andrea Petkovic, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Sharapova seeks her first title since May 2010, and her first at Key Biscayne.
It would mean a lot,'' she said.It's the biggest tournament I think after the Grand Slams. I look forward to going out there and getting it done.''
Her opponent Saturday will be the winner of the match Thursday night between 2009 champion Victoria Azarenka and No. 3-seeded Vera Zvonareva.
The No. 3-seeded Federer won 12 of the 15 points against Simon, and the match lasted only 10 minutes before the Frenchman walked off the court to boos from the stadium crowd.
The public pays the ticket to see the players,'' Simon said.It's tough for them to see Roger only 10 minutes. But of course the sadness on the court is me for sure. You have to play 100 percent if you want to have a chance to win. When you play Roger, you have to play more than that.''
Simon said he aggravated a recurring problem with his neck warming up before the match.
I didn't know anything coming in,'' Federer said.You get booed off the court - that's rough. But that's how it goes.''
Sharapova double-faulted three times to lose her first service game, and as the No. 21-seeded Petkovic pulled ahead, the crowd began to anticipate another Petko Dance, her victory jig that became a tournament staple in the past week.
Instead, it was Sharapova celebrating at the end, fists raised as she let out a jubilant scream. Later, she took a playful jab at Petkovic.
I sensed that she was tired - probably a lot of the dancing that she has been doing,'' Sharapova said.And I took advantage of it.''
Petkovic had 11 game points in the second set but failed to convert any, while the No. 16-seeded Sharapova cut down on the errors that plagued her early in the match. Sharapova was aggressive returning Petkovic's serve and broke seven times, and she moved well despite turning her left ankle late in her quarterfinal win.
Sharapova, a former No. 1 player who has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, began this year ranked 18th and will return to the top 10 next week. She was the Key Biscayne runner-up in 2005 and 2006, and missed the tournament from 2008-10 because of injuries.