Defending champion Justine Henin of Belgium and former champion Maria Sharapova of Russia have scored wins at the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid, Spain.
Henin, who had previously qualified for the semifinals, did not lose a game in routing Marion Bartoli of France in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0. It was the Belgian's third win in round-robin play. Bartoli was a last-minute replacement for American Serena Williams, who pulled out of the event Thursday because of a knee injury.
Sharapova, the 2004 winner and the sixth seed, beat second-seeded countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. The victory gives Sharapova two wins and no losses in the round-robin competition and a place in the semifinals. Sharapova's win also means that Ana Ivanovic of Serbia makes the final four.
In the late match, Russian Anna Chakvetadze defeated Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, 6-4, 0-6, 6-3. The top two players in each of the two round-robin groups advance to the semifinals. The winner takes home $1 million.
Some information for this report provided by AP.