Maria Sharapova fought back from a set down to defeat Alona Bondarenko at Amelia Island.

The Australian Open champion lost the opening set on a tiebreak but hit back in confident fashion to secure a 6-7 6-3 6-2 win and a place in the semi-finals.

There she will meet either the rejuvenated Lindsay Davenport or Hungary's Agnes Szavay.

Sharapova has never reached a clay-court final in her career but one more win would give her the opportunity to compete for the $95,000 top prize.

The Russian squandered three set points before losing the opening set tiebreak 11-9 and admitted that her play was not aggressive enough.

"Considering a couple of those set points I had, it should have been over in two sets," Sharapova said.

"I was really tentative when I had those set points. Somehow I scrambled my way out of it in the second. She looked like she was getting a little tired.

"I was pretty impressed with the way I mentally hung in there. I could easily have let it go in the second set with the way I let the first set get away."

French teenager Alize Cornet is also through to the semi-finals after beating compatriot Virginie Razzano 6-4 6-2.

The 18-year-old world number 49 will face the winner of the last quarter-final between Amelie Mauresmo and Dominika Cibulkova.