Maria Sharapova. Pic/AFP

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova stormed into the semi-finals of the Shenzhen Open after clinching a comfortable straight-sets win over Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan here on Thursday. The five-time Grand Slam champion, who is unseeded for the tournament which acts as a warm-up to the Australian Open, remained dominated throughout the match as she eased past world No 66 Diyas 6-3, 6-3 in a thrilling clash.