New York: Two years on from her stirring Wimbledon triumph, Russian teenager Maria Sharapova is still searching for a grand slam encore.
In fact, since that memorable July 2004 victory over Serena Williams at the All England Club, Sharapova has failed to reach the championship round at any of the four majors.
Sharapova will try to overcome that hurdle on Friday when she faces top seed Amelie Mauresmo in the semi-finals of the US Open.
In the other semis on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Jelena Jankovic will be the underdog against second seed Justine Henin-Hardenne, who is aiming to reach her fourth grand slam final in 2006.
Sharapova has had a solid season and is ranked fourth in the world. Yet her path to the championship is often blocked by Mauresmo or Henin-Hardenne.
With a 0-3 record against Mauresmo, the 19-year-old Russian heads into the encounter gingerly.
"She's definitely the player to beat right now," Sharapova said of her French opponent. "Honestly, I don't have anything to lose going into this match. She's number one in the world."
"She's won two majors this year. She's got all the confidence in the world. All I want to do is just go out there and enjoy the moment of it." Mauresmo beat Sharapova 6-3 3-6 6-2 in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
But that battle was on grass. On Flushing Meadow's hard courts, Sharapova has not lost a set during the tournament.
"I think we always had some tough ones and some pretty tight matches," said Mauresmo, who has faced only once seed so far at the Open.
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"She's hitting the ball very hard. She's a great competitor. She really stays in the match, hangs in there whatever happens."
Mauresmo is searching for her first US Open crown and plans to upset third seed Sharapova's rhythm with her attacking tactics.
"The change of pace probably is something that she doesn't like, and that's my game, that's the way I play," Mauresmo said. "I'm not going to change."
In-form Jankovic
In the other semi-final, Serbian 19th seed Jankovic realistically should not have a chance against Henin-Hardenne, the hard-hitting 2003 Open champion and five-times grand slam winner.
But Jankovic, 21, is a tennis enigma, sometimes brilliant, sometimes wretched.
She lost 10 matches in a row earlier this year but then rebounded with wins over Venus and Serena Williams.
Jankovic has beaten three top 10 players at the National Tennis Center, Nicole Vaidisova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva. Even her critics would say she is on a roll.
"I have so much confidence right now," said Jankovic, who reached the fourth round of Wimbledon this year. "In this tournament, I beat three top 10 players. It's amazing."
Jankovic and Henin-Hardenne have met only once before, with the Belgian winning a three-set affair on the clay.
Henin-Hardenne, who is battling a nagging rib injury, said it would be foolish for her to underestimate the 20th-ranked Jankovic. The 24-year-old knows on paper she should win.
"On the court it's a totally different story," she said. "Jankovic is playing great tennis this week. It's going to be a tough, tough one for me."
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