Tennis:Maria Sharapova crashed out of the AEGON Classic at Edgbaston after the former Wimbledon champion suffered a straight sets defeat to Na Li in the first semi-final.
Sharapova had been bidding for a third grass-court title in Birmingham after victories in 2004 and 2005, but was beaten 6-4 6-4 by her Chinese opponent, the fourth seed.
The Russian, who had been unseeded after plunging down the rankings due to an injury lay-off, conceded six breaks of serve during a match which lasted an hour and 29 minutes.
Li, the highest-ranked player left in the competition, will face the winner of the semi-final between Magdalena Rybarikova and Sania Mirza in tomorrow's final.
