Williams has won her past 17 matches against Sharapova, including last year’s final at Melbourne Park. “I’ve played for many years”. Chris Evert followed with 299 and defending Australian Open champion Serena Williams has 287. Despite dropping the second set, Sharapova regrouped and came out firing on all cylinders in the third set to wrap up the match without any stress. Puig didn’t win another game after that.
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Sharapova said she had been working on mixing up her game, which some pundits have seen as too one-dimensional to beat top seed Williams, who has long dominated the Russian.
“I’m feeling really good, which is a positive”, Sharapova said courtside, when asked about her arm. But she falters occasionally, like she did in the second set against Davis on Friday.
Radwanska next plays unseeded Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany, who edged 13th-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 0-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The No. 7-seeded Nishikori, a two-time quarterfinalist here, dropped serve just once when he was serving for the second set but recovered to win a tight tiebreaker.
It went with serve until the fourth game when Davis fired a backhand long to give the Russian her first break point.
The set second started as the first finished with the Russian dominant, immediately breaking to pile all the pressure on Hibino, who has progressively climbed the rankings since her WTA debut in 2012.
After the match Sharapova was modest and self-effacing about her 600th win milestone, a mark only 16 women in the history of the sport have achieved.
She said: “I felt like I made it a little bit more hard than I should have”.
When you’ve won 600 matches, some of them must merge into one but while Sharapova plans to play on for “many years”, when she does call time on her career it will be one of enormous highs, incredible fortitude and a never-say-die attitude which, if she could bottle it, would add to her millions. “I’ve played for many years”. Sharapova, though, blew her out in the third round and Federer is now on court.
Djokovic lost to Santoro 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of the Paris Masters indoor tournament in October 2007.
Unfortunately, Davis hung on to win the set. “It’s no secret who you’re going to be playing”.
Roger Federer goes through after beating Grigor Dimitorov.
World number five Maria Sharapova battled past petite Lauren Davis and into the Australian Open fourth round today as she edges closer to another showdown with arch-rival Serena Williams.
Federer improved his career record against the Ukrainian player to 3-0 without facing a break point in the 93-minute match.
Sharapova hasn’t beaten Williams since 2004, losing their last 17 meetings, including last year’s Australian Open final.
Other seeded players advancing included No. 6 Tomas Berdych, No. 7 Kei Nishikori and 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic.
Nishikori needed treatment for a right wrist injury following the first set.
“Yeah, an impressive player”.
Rain has delayed the start of play Friday on outdoor courts at the Australian Open.
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Melbourne Park has three stadiums with retractable roofs – Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and Hisense Arena.
