Australian Open: Sharapova in the third round of Melbourne

On her return to Melbourne Park Maria Sharapova presents herself in strong form. After her clear opening win against Tatjana Maria (Bad Saulgau) the 30-year-old Russian won the second round of the Australian Open against 14th seeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova 6-1,7-6 (7-4).

At temperatures above 30 degrees, Sharapova turned her third match point after 1:20 hours “She is a difficult opponent. I’m just happy to have made it in two sets, especially on a day like this,”said Sharapova, who had won the 2008 tournament for the only time so far.

In round three, the former world number one could meet Angelique Kerber on Saturday, the Kieler gets to deal with the Croatian Donna Vekic beforehand. Sharapova missed last year’s first major tournament of the season due to her ban on doping. At her Grand Slam comeback at the US Open in September, she lost three sets to Sevastova in the last sixteen.

At the Australian Open 2016, Sharapova had been positively tested for the prohibited substance of meldonium and was subsequently banned for two years. The International Sports Court CAS reduced the suspension to 15 months. At the WTA tournament in Stuttgart, Sharapova returned in April 2017, but the French Open refused to give her a wildcard, but in Wimbledon she did not qualify for the qualification because of an injury.