Sharapova, Serena Bully Forward at Australian Open
Posted on January 21, 2005Wimbledon holder Maria Sharapova and former No. 1 Serena Williams rolled over opponents into the fourth round Friday at the Australian Open, moving closer to a potential semifinal meeting.
The No. 4-seeded Sharapova dropped only two games (bagel in the first) against China's Na Li, while Serena ended the run of Indian Sania Mirza 6-1, 6-4.
Mirza was first Indian woman to reach the third round of a grand slam, and was up a break in the second until Serena stormed back for the win in under an hour.
"I'm happy with my serve today. Finally, after forever it seems, able to feel my serve," Serena said. "I told her to keep up the good work because it was good to see someone from India for the first time do so well. I was excited to see someone particularly do so well from that country, and I told her to keep fighting."
No. 2 seed Amelie Mauresmo defeated hot-handed Serb teen Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 7-5. Ivanovic won her first WTA title at Canberra coming into Melbourne.
"I think I played a solid match, pretty consistent," said Mauresmo, who won 14 of her 15 net approaches. "I went a little bit more to the net, which I should do even more. No, you know, I think she probably, at the beginning, she was a little bit tense also so she probably didn't find her rhythm, or she found it after only one set."
Other seeded winners were (5) Svetlana Kuznetsova (d. Diaz-Oliva, weathering 48 unforced errors), (11) Nadia Petrova (d. (22) Maleeva), and (15) Silvia Farina Elia (d. the Brit Baltacha, baking a breadstick and a bagel).
"The games were tight," said Baltacha of her 1-and-0 drubbing. "But, you know, she's been in the top, what, 20 for the last six years. She was awesome today. She's unbelievably quick. I didn't realize how quick she was and how patient she was, how comfortable she was with what I was delivering...I've had a great experience on show court 2 today. I got my arse kicked one and love. That's the only way I'm going to learn and I'm going to improve. I know I've got a lot of weaknesses. It's going to be really exciting going home and working hard on these kind of areas."
Two unseeded Russians also advanced into the fourth round, with Evgenia Linetskaya ousting (21) Amy "Down Goes" Frazier, and Vera Douchevina besting German Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
In doubles, American Lisa Raymond retired after the first game of her match with partner Renaae Stubbs against Marion Bartoli/Anna-Lena Groenefeld due to muscle strains in her back, putting her singles match against Anastasia Myskina in doubt.
On Saturday's schedule in Melbourne are (10) Molik vs. Russian Tatiana "The Pocket Baseliner" Panova, (1) Davenport vs. the next-in-line teen sensation Vaidisova, (27) Smashnova vs. (8) Venus, (26) Hantuchova vs. (6) Dementieva, (3) Myskina vs. the ailing (25) Raymond, (18) Likhovtseva vs. (13) Karolina The Spreminator" Sprem, (19) Dechy vs. (14) Schiavone, and (12) Schnyder vs. Spears.
The No. 4-seeded Sharapova dropped only two games (bagel in the first) against China's Na Li, while Serena ended the run of Indian Sania Mirza 6-1, 6-4.
Mirza was first Indian woman to reach the third round of a grand slam, and was up a break in the second until Serena stormed back for the win in under an hour.
"I'm happy with my serve today. Finally, after forever it seems, able to feel my serve," Serena said. "I told her to keep up the good work because it was good to see someone from India for the first time do so well. I was excited to see someone particularly do so well from that country, and I told her to keep fighting."
No. 2 seed Amelie Mauresmo defeated hot-handed Serb teen Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 7-5. Ivanovic won her first WTA title at Canberra coming into Melbourne.
"I think I played a solid match, pretty consistent," said Mauresmo, who won 14 of her 15 net approaches. "I went a little bit more to the net, which I should do even more. No, you know, I think she probably, at the beginning, she was a little bit tense also so she probably didn't find her rhythm, or she found it after only one set."
Other seeded winners were (5) Svetlana Kuznetsova (d. Diaz-Oliva, weathering 48 unforced errors), (11) Nadia Petrova (d. (22) Maleeva), and (15) Silvia Farina Elia (d. the Brit Baltacha, baking a breadstick and a bagel).
"The games were tight," said Baltacha of her 1-and-0 drubbing. "But, you know, she's been in the top, what, 20 for the last six years. She was awesome today. She's unbelievably quick. I didn't realize how quick she was and how patient she was, how comfortable she was with what I was delivering...I've had a great experience on show court 2 today. I got my arse kicked one and love. That's the only way I'm going to learn and I'm going to improve. I know I've got a lot of weaknesses. It's going to be really exciting going home and working hard on these kind of areas."
Two unseeded Russians also advanced into the fourth round, with Evgenia Linetskaya ousting (21) Amy "Down Goes" Frazier, and Vera Douchevina besting German Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
In doubles, American Lisa Raymond retired after the first game of her match with partner Renaae Stubbs against Marion Bartoli/Anna-Lena Groenefeld due to muscle strains in her back, putting her singles match against Anastasia Myskina in doubt.
On Saturday's schedule in Melbourne are (10) Molik vs. Russian Tatiana "The Pocket Baseliner" Panova, (1) Davenport vs. the next-in-line teen sensation Vaidisova, (27) Smashnova vs. (8) Venus, (26) Hantuchova vs. (6) Dementieva, (3) Myskina vs. the ailing (25) Raymond, (18) Likhovtseva vs. (13) Karolina The Spreminator" Sprem, (19) Dechy vs. (14) Schiavone, and (12) Schnyder vs. Spears.