Australian Open - Evening session: Sharapova, Roddick march on

Eurosport - Wed, 16 Jan 14:50:00 2008

Russian Maria Sharapova produced a scintillating display to end the run of comeback mum Lindsay Davenport at the Australian Open, hammering the 2000 champion 6-1 6-3 in the second round.

TENNIS 2008 Australian Open Davenport L. - Sharapova M. scharapowa - 0

Watch full video highlights of all today's action by clicking on the links under the photo!!

In a highly-anticipated battle of the two former world number ones, fifth seed Sharapova blew Davenport away in the first set and held off the American in the second to take her place in the last 32.

Davenport had won 19 of her 20 matches since returning to the tour last September after a year off, but she was outclassed in the first set as the Russian wrong-footed and out-manoeuvred her at will.

The American lifted her game in the second set but Sharapova broke twice, in the seventh and ninth games to progress to a clash with compatriot Elena Vesnina.

Sixth seed Andy Roddick survived a minor third-set hiccup and romped to a 6-2 6-2 6-4 victory over Germany's Michael Berrer.

Roddick raced away with the first two sets with two breaks in each while his own overpowering service game was again to the fore with the German not given a single opportunity to break.

The third set, however, was a different story with the 54th-ranked left-hander racing out a 3-0 lead.

Roddick clawed his way back into the set, however, and reeled off the next five games with the opportunity to seal victory on Berrer's serve.

Roddick, down 40-15, then produced a series of audacious chips and lobs to get to deuce where he held three match points - none of which he could convert.

The 2003 U.S. Open champion made no mistake in the next game, though, and served out.

He will meet Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the next round.

Reuters