( CNN ) -- Serena Williams produced a dominating performance to beat Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Stanford . The former world number one only returned to action last month after a lengthy layoff for injury and illness , but showed she is close to returning to the form that has brought her 13 grand slam titles . Williams , playing only her third tournament since winning Wimbledon in 2010 , is currently ranked 169th in the world but made light work of the fifth-seeded Russian . `` I 've just been trying my hardest and practicing and trying to get back in the top 100 , Williams told the official WTA website . `` It 's a little crazy , but hopefully ... '' Sharapova has not beaten Williams since 2004 and admitted she had not been at her best . `` She was serving and returning quite powerfully , and I felt I was extremely late . I did n't have my timing today at all . `` Even when I had chances to change things around , I did n't do it . '' Williams next faces big-hitting German Sabine Lisicki , who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon where she was beaten by runner-up Sharapova . Lisicki was a 7-6 2-6 6-2 winner over fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in an earlier quarterfinal Friday . The other semifinal will be between third seed Marion Bartoli and improving eighth seed Dominika Cibulkova . France 's Bartoli beat Japan 's Ayumi Morita , who retired after trailing by a set . Cibulkova enjoyed a 6-1 6-1 defeat of New Zealand 's Marina Erakovic , who had . beaten top seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka in the second round Thursday .
Serena Williams crushes Maria Sharapova in Stanford hard court event . 13-time grand slam winner Williams has 6 - 1 6 - 2 victory . She will face Sabine Lisicki of Germany in semifinals in Wimbledon . Ana Marc and Dominika Cibulkova face off in other last four matches .