Maria a serious title contender
MELBOURNE — Unseeded Maria Sharapova Thursday showed she is a serious contender for the Australian Open by swatting aside a 14th seed who had given her major trouble in the past.
Sharapova, back in the top 50 after a 15-month doping ban, demonstrated all the shotmaking that made her a fivetime major winner as she destroyed gritty Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) on Rod Laver Arena.
The Russian, who faces Angelique Kerber next in a mouth-watering clash of former Australian Open champions, warned she was still improving less than a year after her comeback last April.
"She's had success here," she said of Kerber, the 2016 title winner. "She's had success playing out here in these conditions on these courts. I want to see where I am on that level."
The Latvian had thwarted the Russian's Grand Slam comeback in the last 16 of the US Open last year.
In their next encounter in Beijing Sevastova was only denied after more than three gruelling hours in a titanic three-setter.
On Thursday, it was a different story as Sharapova sped through a sizzling first set in just 23 minutes for the loss of only nine points.
"I played really well at the net, finished the balls off with a swing volley or good volley," she said.
"Something I've been working on, and definitely improved in the match today."
Sevastova characteristically fought back in the second but the only time the 2008 Australian Open champion and crowd-favorite wobbled was when serving for the match.
"She never really lets up," Sharapova said. "But I got through it. I did the job in two, and that's not something I did, you know, towards the end of last year.
"I think that's an improvement."
As temperatures soared towards 40 Celsius (104 Farenheit) on the hottest day of the tournament so far, it was a dramatic demolition.
The jolt to the Sharapova juggernaut was evident and she began to make unforced errors as service holds and breaks were exchanged.