Maria Sharapova: I used my experience well

“Although I’d love to sit on the beach and read a book and drink margaritas, after a few days I get bored”, she said.

“I’m quite happy that I was able to step up in the third set; that was very important”, she said.

The No. 328th-ranked Rubin received a wild card into the main draw as part of a reciprocal agreement between the USA and Australian tennis associations.

If Sharapova wins she is in line to meet Serena Williams in the quarter-finals – and the American appears to be hitting form too after she despatched another Russian, Daria Kasatkina, 6-1 6-1. “I definitely had a letup at 2-1, 30-0”, Sharapova said.

“I think she qualified at Wimbledon so she’s obviously made leaps and bounds since then, gained a lot of confidence”.

Federer on Friday became the only male tennis player ever to win 300 Grand Slam matches.

Djokovic and his wife Jelena had a baby boy, Stefan, in October 2014.

“Is this a friendly reminder that I’m getting older?” she joked. “At 28 years old, I’m healthy and look forward to playing for many years”.

She says, “I don’t do bananas anymore”. “He just really opened the door to my dream (and) I’m just kind of living it. It’s great that we can start here”.

On the other hand, Kei Nishikori progressed to the next round as well, with a 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over USA’s Austin Krajicek.

The 16th-seeded Wozniacki was up a service break in the second set. At Melbourne Park, he has lost only one match in the previous five tournaments.

“She’s an impressive player”, Sharapova said. She is 22-1 at Grand Slams against Americans not named Williams. Seven doubles matches were later postponed.

Bencic is a fast-rising star on the WTA circuit and the first Swiss woman to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park since Martina Hingis in 2007. Three, she has a physical advantage, standing a full foot taller than Davis (6-2 to 5-2).

Federer will next play Grigor Dimitrov, who has a style that has been compared with Federer’s, after the No. 27-seeded player beat Marco Trungelliti 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Like Sharapova, there was a concern about Williams’ fitness after the 21-time Grand Slam victor withdrew from the Hopman Cup exhibition last month due to a sore knee.

Earlier in a rain-interrupted day at Melbourne Park, 2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova collected her 600th win at tour level.

Stephens reached the semifinals at the Australian Open in 2013.

After exchanging holds, Sharapova picked up right where she left off in the early stages of the second set, breaking in the third game at the sixth time of asking. Gavrilova will take on 10 seed Carla Suarez-Navarro of Spain, who led Russian Elizaveta Kulichkova 6-4, 2-0 before she had to retire.