Maria Sharapova continued her Australian Open campaign with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Sharapova started her second round match right where she left off in the first, dominating Sasnovich for the whole match.
Sharapova Dominating In First Set
Sharapova raced out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first set, before Sasnovich broke back to get the score to 4-1. Sharapova then broke back to get the set to 5-1, courtesy of a Sasnovich double-fault. Sasnovich then broke back again, getting the score to 5-2, before Sharapova closed out the first set with a blistering forehand winner.
Cruise Control In The Second
The second set was very similar to the first, with Sharapova dominating throughout. Sharapova got out to another quick lead in the second set, racing to a 3-0 lead, before Sasnovich won a lengthy deuce game to get the match to 3-1. Sharapova then went on to win the next three games and the match, finishing it off courtesy of a Sasnovich forehand error, a fitting end to the match.
Sharapova By The Numbers
With Sharapova playing her first tournament of 2016, many expected some rust on the Russian. But that has indeed been the opposite for Sharapova, with the Russian only dropping seven games in her first two matches. Sharapova looks to have shaken off any rust and is now fully into the tournament.
Sharapova returned exceptionally well today, winning 67 percent of receiving points. Sharapova also served well making 56 percent of first serves and winning 79 percent of first serve points. Sharapova served four aces to three double faults. Though Sharapova won, the Russian had 22 winners to 24 unforced errors, an odd stat for the winner.
Sharapova is on a good path to defending her finalist result from last year, but Sharapova's nemesis, world number one Serena Williams, is looming as a potential quarterfinal opponent for the Russian.
Sharapova Looking To Shake Off Pervious Injuries
Sharapova's 2015 was a very tough and injury-riddled year for the Russian. After making the finals here at the Australian Open last year, Sharapova was forced to withdraw from a Fed Cup tie in April due to a right leg injury. Later that spring, at the French Open, Sharapova was compromised from defending her title with a respiratory illness, losing in the 4th round. After Wimbledon, Sharapova did not play a match until Wuhan, battling a right leg injury, which kept her out of the American summer. Sharapova came back in Wuhan to no avail, having to retire midway through her first match there with a left forearm injury. Sharapova was able to finish her season in Singapore and the Fed Cup final winning 5 of her last 6 matches to close out the year.
Sharapova began 2016 in Brisbane having to pull out with the same left forearm injury that kept her out of Wuhan. Sharapova will look to rebound from these injuries with a successful 2016.
Next Up For Sharapova
Sharapova will next play American Lauren Davis. Davis ranked No. 103, dismissed the 26 seed, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round, and received a retirement from Magdalena Rybarikova in the second. Sharapova and Davis have never played, but expect a straight sets win from the five seed, to progress into round four.