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Sharapova win sets up Wozniacki clash, Kvitova advances
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Sharapova, who is seeded 30th at the tournament and seeking to recapture former glories after coming back from a drugs ban in 2017, brushed aside Swede Rebecca Peterson 6-2, 6-1.
The 31-year-old has only conceded three games en route to round three at Melbourne Park, where she won the title in 2008 and has reached the final a further three times.
"I'm really happy the way I performed today and obviously it's always great to be back on this court," she said.
"Overall, I thought I played a really solid match."
The pair emerged on Rod Laver Arena late in the night due to a long-running men's match, meaning only a smattering of fans were there to cheer on the former world No 1.
While Sharapova served a 6-0, 6-0 "double bagel" to her first-round opponent Harriet Dart, Peterson initially promised more of a fight as she rallied against the Russian from the baseline.
Her aggressive approach was not enough to prevent the veteran going up a break in the third game, while offering the Swede nothing on her own serve.
The gulf in experience began to tell as the match stretched into early Thursday, with Sharapova breaking Peterson again to take an iron grip on the first set, which she wrapped up after 34 minutes.
Sharapova's blistering returns proved too much for world number 64 Peterson and the Russian soon ran away with the second set.
Sharapova and third seed Wozniacki have met 10 times, with the record 6-4 in the Russian's favour.
But their most recent clash was in 2015, when Sharapova was still at her peak and the Dane was yet to win her coveted maiden Slam, which she has credited with boosting her confidence.
There is no love lost between the pair.
Wozniacki questioned the way the WTA handled Sharapova's return from her drugs ban in 2017 and was furious when she was bumped from the show court in favour of the Russian at that year's US Open.
It prompted a withering response from Sharapova after Wozniacki's elimination: "I'm in the fourth round. I don't know where she is."
Their meeting promises to be the standout match in the first week of the women's draw.
"It's a tough third round but I've set up the challenge and I'm willing to take it," Sharapova said.
[embed:video:id=1036414]WOZNIACKI POWERS INTO THIRD ROUND
Aggressive defending champion Caroline Wozniacki powered into the third round with a confidence-boosting romp over Sweden's Johanna Larsson.
The third seeded Dane snuffed out a late rally from the world number 77 to win 6-1, 6-3 and continue her bid to become the first woman to defend the Australian title since Victoria Azarenka in 2013.
Wozniacki moved freely, showing no sign of the rheumatoid arthritis that has threatened to derail her career.
"I thought I started pretty well, started aggressively, but she started making less errors and I was just trying to stay consistent," the 28-year-old said.
Wozniacki came out of the blocks quickly, leaving Larsson reeling as she conceded only two points on the way to a 3-0 lead.
The Swede regrouped from the early onslaught but Wozniacki continued to dictate terms and showed no signs of fatigue as she moved Larsson around the court during long rallies.
She wrapped up the first set in 27 minutes, pouncing on Larsson's popgun serve and coping easily when the Swede tried to put her under pressure by attacking the net, making 95 percent of her returns.
Wozniacki's intensity eased slightly in the second set and there was a minor wobble late in the match when Larsson threatened a break.
"She started making less errors, playing it deep, coming into the net and threw my timing off a little bit," she said.
"I just tried to stay as aggressive as I could be until the and I think I served well when I had to."
Wozniacki said she felt no additional pressure coming into the tournament as defending champion and was enjoying her campaign after two straight sets wins in the opening rounds.
"It feels amazing. I felt at home straight away when I got here," she said.
KERBER WINS BATTLE OF LEFT-HANDERS
Second seed Angelique Kerber dominated Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia to easily reach the third round.
The German Wimbledon champion produced a consistent display to advance 6-2, 6-3 in humid conditions.
"It was a tough match, she played really well and I knew that I had to play my best tennis," the three-time Grand Slam champion said.
Kerber, a winner at Melbourne Park in 2016, will meet Australian wildcard Kimberly Birrell next.
KVITOVA STORMS INTO THIRD ROUND
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova cruised into the third round, with her vanquished opponent Irina-Camelia Begu tipping the Czech eighth seed for the title.
Kvitova never looked troubled as she downed Begu 6-1, 6-3 in 69 minutes.
"If you're gonna play like that you're gonna win it," the Romanian said as she congratulated Kvitova at the net.
The 28-year-old has been in strong form leading into the season-opening Grand Slam, winning last week's Sydney International.
Kvitova, whose best result at Melbourne Park was a run to the semifinals in 2012, will meet Belinda Bencic of Switzerland next.
STEPHENS ADVANCES TO THIRD ROUND
Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens ground out a straight sets win over her junior doubles partner Timea Babos to reach the third round.
The fifth seed advanced 6-3, 6-1 but was made to work hard over 95 minutes, despite the deceptively one-sided scoreline.
"I knew I had to be patient, her serve is ridiculously good, so I knew I just had to hang in there and be patient," said the American, a semifinalist at Melbourne Park in 2013.
"I thought I did that well today."
Stephens faces 31st seed Petra Martic in the third round and a potential quarterfinal clash with second seed Angelique Kerber if she makes it that far.
Stephens is seeking greater consistency at Grand Slams after strong performances last year to reach the final at Roland Garros and quarters at Flushing Meadows were offset by first-round exits in Australia and Wimbledon.
Stephens and Hungary's Babos won three junior doubles Grand Slams together in 2010 and their familiarity with one another was apparent as they exchanged breaks early in the first set.
The American kept creating opportunities and was rewarded with another break to go up 5-3.
She struggled to convert her chances, requiring six break points in the next game before finally claiming the set.
Overall, she had 23 break points in the match and made only five of them count, underlining a worrying lack of killer instinct that she will need for a deep run the tournament.
There was more venom in Stephens's second-set performance and she never looked back after snatching a break in the first game.
She also benefited from a poor performance from Babos, who committed 44 unforced errors and five double faults.
LOCAL HOPE BARTY THROUGH
Local hope Ash Barty maintained her red-hot form to reach the third round, revealing she enjoys the same qualities in her tennis as she does in her coffee.
"Short and strong, that's all I need," the 15th seed said when questioned about her beverage preferences after a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win over China's Wang Yafan.
The Australian is currently among the standout players on the women's tour, winning six of seven matches this year to back up a title victory in Zhuhai late last year.
The diminutive 22-year-old has been earning rave reviews from Australian pundits, with one TV commentator describing her as "Federer-esque".
But Barty said she was not buying into the hype and felt relaxed playing in front of her fanatical home support.
"I feel great. We have had an amazing start to the year," she said. "It's nice to be playing in Australia and playing well.
"I'm really enjoying myself out on court and that is all I can ask of every match.
"If I win it's a bonus. If I lose the sun still comes up the next day and it's all good."
Barty will play either fellow Australian Astra Sharma or Maria Sakkari of Greece next.
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