MOSCOW, January 16 (R-Sport) – Russia's Maria Sharapova fought through extreme heat for over three hours to secure an epic three-set victory over Karin Knapp in the second round of the Australian Open Thursday.
The world No. 3 won 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 as the temperature climbed above 40 degrees. In an uncharacteristically erratic performance, Sharapova posted 12 double faults and 67 unforced errors.
“I was up a set and a break and I had many opportunities to finish the match faster,” Sharapova said on the tournament’s website. “So I would have loved for it to finish faster, but that's what I got and I have to deal with the circumstances. I'm all right with that. I'm a competitor here, and I worked hard to get through that match.”
The heat eventually forced tournament organizers to stop play for more than three hours later in the day.
Sharapova, the 2008 Australian Open champion, will meet Alize Cornet of France in the third round after the 25th seed won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 against Italy’s Camila Giorgi.
Passage to the third round was easier for 29th-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who held serve throughout her 6-2, 6-2 win against Mandi Minella of Luxembourg. The 22-year-old Pavlyuchenkova will now face tough opposition in world No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska, who leads their head-to-head meetings 3-1.
Radwanska met light resistance as she took a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Olga Govortsova of Belarus.
