Fifth-seeded Sharapova reaches 3rd round at Australian Open

“One of the toughest challenges in this tournament is the weather”, Sharapova said. She is coached by her Belarusian countryman, former ATP player Vladimir Voltchkov, formerly Sharapova’s hitting partner.

Sharapova, meanwhile, has reached four finals and three semi-finals in her last 10 appearances at the Australian Open, winning the event in 2008, and while the Russian did exit in round one in 2010, that was only the second time in 12 appearances at Melbourne Park that she failed to go at least as far as the third round.

“She’s got to take those off!”

Equal to the men’s draw where career rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are destined to meet as early as the semifinals, the “Siberian Siren” is also bound for a potential quarterfinal showdown against Williams, who defeated her in the final round of last year’s Australian Open. In fact, it was the first set she had won throughout the Australian summer.

Sharapova had some encouraging words for her opponent.

But Hibino, who had spent so much of the match on the back foot, began to be more aggressive and raise her level as a whole, giving Sharapova a taste of her own medicine. Shortly after holding, Hibino saved two match points in Sharapova’s next service game before earning a surprise break to close the gap to just two games and a break.

But as Sharapova served for 5-0, Sasnovich started finding her range in returning serve and a misjudged forehand from the Russian allowed her back into the set at 1-4. However, her form leading up to the Australian Open was less than impressive as she failed to qualify for both the Brisbane and Sydney Internationals.

But the 28-year-old, last year’s beaten finalist, was in fine fettle after hours on the practice courts as she handed a tennis lesson to Hibino, who was making her Grand Slam debut.

“For a first Grand Slam performance, I thought she was there till the end”.