INDIAN WELLS, California - China's Peng Shuai fell just short of pulling off her fifth straight victory at the WTA Indian Wells hardcourt tournament and reaching her third semi-final of the year on Thursday.

Peng battled hard but tired in the latter stages of the third set against former US Open champion Maria Sharapova, losing 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the two-hour, 22-minute quarterfinal match.

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Peng, ranked 36th in the world, rallied to force a third set and was one point away from going up 4-2 in the third set against Sharapova when the Russian started to take over.

"I was really happy to get into the quarterfinals here, but I think today Maria played a tough match," Peng said. "In the third set I had a chance, but she play well.

"I just have to keep going, and there are a lot of things I have to improve on. I will just try to practice more and keep going."

Peng, 25, has been one of the WTA's busiest and most successful players this year. She made the semifinals in Auckland and Hobart and is tied with world No 2 Kim Clijsters for the most main-draw wins this year with 18.

The 25-year-old from Tianjin jumped out to a 40-15 lead in the crucial sixth game of the third set when Sharapova suddenly came to life on her serve and won the game to level at 3-3. Sharapova finished with 13 double faults to Peng's four.

The more experienced Sharapova then broke Peng twice more in the set and took the final four games to win the match.

Peng said she started to feel nervous in the third set and then grew tired as it reached the two-hour point.

"When I came back to win the second set, and in the third set I think it was 3-2 and 40-15 I was a little bit tight or nervous.

"This was my first time this year I play on the center court where I was first on," Peng said.

Peng was pleased with the way she fought back to take the second set.

"After I lost the first set and was down in the second set, I just started telling myself like, 'Don't give up. Just try my best'."

Agence France-Presse