WITH each passing day in the normally tranquil suburbs of Edgbaston this week, the decibel levels have risen gradually on Centre Court. Yesterday, they reached a new peak as Maria Sharapova shrieked her way to the semi-finals of the DFS Classic.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham had been a visitor to the Priory Club but he had long departed before the teenage sensation began her game with the luckless Eleni Daniilidou, of Greece. The rattling of silver chains of office around necks is as much noise violation as civic dignitaries can abide in general.

In fact, the familiar shrill that Sharapova exudes with her every shot resonated as much with a pained expression as a purr of satisfaction as she stuttered to an unconvincing 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 victory over the Greek, who has a world ranking of No 87.

The performance does not encourage optimism for her ambition to retain her Wimbledon crown and the world No 2 required medical treatment on her thigh during the second set. “It was muscle soreness but it is part of tennis,” she said, allaying any fears of a lasting injury. “I woke up this morning with a cold and a sore throat. My energy levels were low and my movement was not good. But I have plenty of time to recover (for Wimbledon).”

After the five minutes’ medical time out, with Sharapova trailing 2-1, Daniilidou excelled and swiftly levelled the match. It was then that the Russian asked for a toilet break, an interruption that galvanised her game. She returned a woman transformed, spraying a barrage of baseline ground strokes with an unerring accuracy that was in vivid contrast to her earlier contributions.

“I had been playing so badly in the first two sets and not having a good time,” Sharapova said. “I thought things can’t get any worse.” Daniilidou was unable to resist as her opponent raced into a 5-0 lead and the end came swiftly, painlessly and, needless to say, loudly after two hours and ten minutes.

Few would have expected the contest to last that long as the No 1 seed and title-holder swept effortlessly into an early 2-0 lead. However, Daniilidou’s variation of tactics kept the rallies alive long enough for an uncertain Sharapova to make a mistake, a task that she fulfilled with uncanny frequency. Despite herself, Sharapova secured the first set but after her courtside appointment with the physiotherapist, an upset was in the air.

“I am not the sort to be negative,” she said. “I didn’t think I would go out. I wasn’t feeling well, not playing well but we are talking about me as a winner. That is something positive.”

Even so, the gangling 18-year-old’s temperament, usually so placid, was as erratic as her backhand returns. She argued with Kim Craven, the umpire, for overruling a line call in favour of Daniilidou and took exception when he adjudged her to have touched the net when making a drop shot.

Should she progress, Sharapova is likely to oppose Jelena Jankovic in the final tomorrow. The 20-year-old Serbia and Montenegro No 3 seed eased past Mashona Washington, of the United States, 6-2, 6-4 in 72 minutes.