Australian Open: Maria Sharapova beats Lauren Davis to join the 600 club

An inconsistent Maria Sharapova eventually overpowered American Lauren Davis to move into the Australian Open fourth round on Friday.

The Russian fifth seed produced a rollercoaster performance on Rod Laver Arena on her way to a 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-0 victory against world number 103 Davis.

Five-time grand slam champion Sharapova, last year’s runner-up in Melbourne, showcased her power from the back of the court before encountering problems in the second set, only to recapture her best form in the third.

Initially, her power was far too much for Davis to handle, with Sharapova taking a particular liking to the 22-year-old’s second serve.

She dictated from the back of the court early on and broke for a 3-1 lead, and the set was complete in just 26 minutes

The hard-hitting Sharapova lost just nine points in an imperious first-set display, but her level dropped in the second.

Davis came from a break down to take a 4-2 lead, gifted to her with a pair of Sharapova double faults, before the latter rallied.

But Davis proved too steady in the tie-break despite losing a 27-shot rally after failing to put away an easy volley.

However, Sharapova started the third set more like the first, breaking early before rolling to her three-set win.

STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

Sharapova [5] bt Davis 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-0

ACES

Sharapova – 16

Davis – 1

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Sharapova – 44/42

Davis – 13/35

BREAK POINTS WON

Sharapova – 7/15

Davis – 2/3

FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE

Sharapova – 62

Davis – 45

PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE

Sharapova – 79/59

Davis – 63/35

TOTAL POINTS

Sharapova – 100

Davis – 64

Her 6-1, 6-7, 6-0 victory over Lauren Davis puts makes it her 600 career victory, she is the 4th active women’s player to win 600 career matches. Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic are the others.