Sharapova Edges Past Bencic

Maria Sharapova served up a storm to slap down teenage firebrand Belinda Bencic 7-5 7-5 and become the first woman through to the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday.

Leading 6-5, the world number 103 made no mistake, converting her first opportunity to take the second set 7-6(5) as another error flew off of Sharapova’s forehand – one of her liabilities in the second set.

Roberta Vinci, who ended Serena Williams’ bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015 with a shocking semifinal win at the U.S. Open, lost 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Anna-Lena Friedsam.

Williams was broken in the first game of the fourth round match, only the second time she had dropped serve in the tournament, before she rattled off the next four games and went on to seal the set in 30 minutes. “He beat Federer past year here in the Australian Open, so he knows how to play big matches”, Djokovic said.

The world number 103 was unable to carry her momentum into the decider, however, as Sharapova sealed a 6-1 6-7 (5/7) 6-0 win.

Margaret Court, the Australian great who won 24 Grand Slam singles titles and has a court named in her honor at Melbourne Park, was in the crowd watching Williams.

Sharapova won consecutive matches against Williams in 2004 at Wimbledon and the season-ending championships, but hasn’t won since.

After Sharapova raced out to take the first set in 26 minutes, Davis fought back to take the 77-minute second set.

“You always have to find new inspirations and new goals, find things that really get you going in the morning”.

“Oh boy. Is this like a friendly reminder that I’m getting older?” In the third set she made 88% of her first serves winning 93% of the points.

Sharapova was highly complimentary of her vanquished opponent, but was pleased to have held up on behalf of the old guard.

“If I think about it like: “Oh, I’ve been around the block, I’ve been to all these tournaments so many times”, that would seem quite heavy”.

Nevertheless, Sharapova managed to turn it around in the third set and looks to be in good form heading into her match with Bencic. I’ve played here in Melbourne for many years.

In men’s play, Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori got past Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 despite nursing a wrist problem. “Everything I’ve been trying to work on was kind of clicking today”.

The mark came during her 13th appearance at the Australian Open. Three years earlier, when she was 6, Sharapova was spotted at a Moscow exhibition by Martina Navratilova, who told her father that America was the best place to cultivate the young player’s talent.

Her personal life remains out of bounds, although she most recently had a relationship with fellow player Grigor Dimitrov.