London, Jun 28: Maria Sharapova, stormed her way into the semi-finals of the Women's singles event of Wimbledon 2011 after crushing Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 6-1 on Jun 29. She is now the highest seeded surviving female player left in the tournament.

Sharapova, seeded fifth is now set to meet German wildcard Sabine Lisicki in the semi-final clash on June 30.

The Russian towering heads and shoulders above Cibulkova, decimated the Slovak with her incredible power play and broke her three times in the first set. Three further breaks in the second set ensured an easy victory for the fashionista.

She is now a clear favourite to lift the trophy, her fourth Grand Slam title overall.

Speaking at the post-match conference, the 24-year old Russian said, "It's great, the fact that I've had the experience of being in these stages. But I haven't been for a while (at Wimbledon), so it's a nice and refreshing feeling to have."

Sounding confident over his prospects in the tournament, Sharapova said, "To be in the semis of Wimbledon is a bonus. To come back and play tennis after a big injury, I was just happy to be back on court."

She added, "As far as speed is concerned, I still feel like I can get a few more miles per hour. But I think that will come with time."

Showing her liking for the newly-installed roof at the Centre Court, the Russian said, "It's quite unique. Actually, the first few tosses it's quite different than a usual indoor court. I love the sound of it, the sound of the ball when it hits the racket. Yeah, it seems more intimate."

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