Maria Sharapova has progressed to the fourth round at Australian Open 2012 with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over 30th seed Angelique Kerber.
Despite the apparently comfortable scoreline the match was a tighter affair, particularly the second set which took almost one hour to complete.
The Russian, a champion at Melbourne Park in 2008, looked devastating in the first set as she clubbed winner after winner to thoroughly outclass her German opponent.
But Kerber, a US Open semifinalist last yeat, displayed her mettle in the second, coming through a third game that went for nine deuces to get her name on the scoreboard.
Several more games went to deuce following this, but it was Sharapova's greater experience and mental toughness that saw her come through those tough spots.
The No.4 seed books a fourth-round clash against the winner of the match between Sabine Lisicki and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
More to come ...
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