Maria Sharapova may not be seeded and may have turned up in Melbourne with a cloud hanging over her, but the Russian has showed she is s serious contender for the title.
The 30-year-old swatted aside 14th seed Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 7-6 in a display which will have had the rest of the locker room sitting up and taking notice.
Sharapova faces Angelique Kerber next in a mouth-watering clash of former Australian Open champions, warned she was still improving less than a year after her comeback from a drugs ban last April.
“She’s had success here,” she said of Kerber, the 2016 title winner. “She’s had success playing out here in these conditions on these courts. I want to see where I am on that level.”
Sevastova had thwarted the Russian’s Grand Slam comeback in the last 16 of the US Open last year.
In their next encounter in Beijing the Latvian was only denied after more than three gruelling hours in a titanic three-setter.
In the Melbourne match it was a different story as Sharapova sped through a sizzling first set in just 23 minutes for the loss of only nine points.
“I played really well at the net, finished the balls off with a swing volley or good volley,” she said.
“Something I’ve been working on, and definitely improved in the match today.”
Sevastova characteristically fought back in the second but the only time the 2008 Australian Open champion and crowd-favorite wobbled was when serving for the match.
“She never really lets up,” Sharapova said.
“But I got through it. I did the job in two, and that’s not something I did, you know, toward the end of last year.
“I think that’s an improvement.”
The Latvian, who reached back-to-back quarter-finals at the US Open in 2016 and 2017, briefly woke up to break the Sharapova serve for the first time early in the second set.
The jolt to the Sharapova juggernaut was evident and she began to make unforced errors as service holds and breaks were exchanged.
At 4-4 a backhand winner got Sharapova to break point and when a second screamer followed it was greeted by a double-fist pump from the Russian.
But still Sevastova was not done and broke back again to force a tiebreak.
Sharapova regathered and was not to be denied as she hit a scarcely believable forehand crosscourt winner on the run to get to 5-2 before closing out the match with a scream of joy, a fist pump and a huge smile.
“I did my job in two sets against someone that’s been troubling in the past for me. I think I deserve to smile out there after that victory,” said Sharapova.