By Caroline Cheese

| The Associated Press

Melbourne, Australia • Former and reigning Wimbledon winners Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova will meet in the Australian Open semifinals after both won in straight sets on Wednesday.

Sharapova won 6-2, 6-3 against fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova, who knocked out five-time champion Serena Williams in the previous round.

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At a glance

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Australian Open highlights

Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova both win in straight sets to set up a semifinal matchup.

» Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both win, setting up their first Grand Slam semifinal since 2005.

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Wednesday’s TV

Women’s semifinals, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

» Men’s semifinals, 1:30 a.m. (Thursday), ESPN2

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Kvitova earlier reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time with a 6-4, 6-4 win over unseeded Italian Sara Errani.

Kvitova beat Sharapova in last year’s Wimbledon final to claim her first Grand Slam title.

"Obviously it was a tough one at Wimbledon," Sharapova said. "She’s full of confidence and playing the best tennis right now. I look forward to it."

Sharapova and Kvitova also kept alive their chances of claiming the top ranking, which Caroline Wozniacki will vacate on Monday after her quarterfinal loss to Kim Clijsters.

The fourth-seeded Sharapova must repeat her 2008 Australian title win. Kvitova only has to match or better the run of Victoria Azarenka, the only other player still in the running this week for the No. 1 spot.

Sharapova has dropped one set and lost 21 games en route to her first Australian Open semifinal since she won the 2008 final — the last of her three major titles.

"It’s been a long road back to this stage," said Sharapova, who spent 10 months off court with a shoulder injury that required surgery later in 2008.

The men’s semifinal lineup also will be completed Wednesday.

Two-time runner-up Andy Murray has moved into the semifinals of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Kei Nishikori. Murray will next meet either defending champion Novak Djokovic or No. 5 David Ferrer.

Two of the so-called "Big Four," Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, are already through to a marquee semifinal after winning Wednesday.

Federer beat 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in his 1,000th tour-level match. Nadal rallied for a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych.