Tennis:Maria Sharapova made it only five games lost in three matches at the French Open with another Parisian stroll, but she knows there will be much tougher challenges ahead if she is to win her first Roland Garros crown.
Peng Shuai, who has a win over the Russian to her name in 2009, at least did better than Alexandra Cadantu and Ayumi Morita in winning three games, but Sharapova was still largely untroubled, coming through 6-2 6-1.
The second seed, who next meets Czech Klara Zakopalova, said: “I’m certainly happy with the way I’ve performed in these matches and followed through. I did everything I had to do.
“But in the next round, it starts from 0-0. Whoever you’re playing, you have to go and try and do the same thing. There are a lot more rounds to go. It just gets tougher from this point.
“And you hope as the tournament goes on that you raise your level. You’re going to be facing tougher opponents, you’re going to be maybe facing two three-setters, and you just have to be ready for that.”
Zakopalova ended the campaign of 22nd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova today, the 30-year-old winning 6-3 7-5 to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in her career.
American Varvara Lepchenko is having her best slam, and she ensured there will be no third final in a row here for Italy’s Francesca Schiavone.
The 14th seed, who beat Sam Stosur in 2010 then lost to Li Na last year, took the first set reasonably comfortably but was pegged back by Lepchenko.
The third set was a topsy-turvy affair, with the American serving for the match at 5-3 only for Schiavone to level, but Lepchenko broke again and then saved four break points on her own serve before finally taking it 3-6 6-3 8-6.
The victory means Lepchenko is set to qualify for the US team at the Olympics, leaving Venus Williams vulnerable because Sloane Stephens, who is ranked lower at the moment, is still in the tournament.
Lepchenko said: “I was fighting until the end. I was trying to stay with Francesca the whole time. She played amazing. It’s her court. I knew that she wasn’t going to give it for free. I had to work really hard, and I did.”
Lepchenko next meets Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, who, like defending champion Li Na, survived a three-setter today. Li saw off 20-year-old American Christina McHale 3-6 6-2 6-1 while Kvitova was a 6-2 4-6 6-1 winner over Nina Bratchikova.
Li, who now faces Yaroslava Shvedova, said: “In the first set I think I always followed what she did. I was feeling like she’s the champion on the court. But I was happy I changed a bit at the beginning of the second set to play my way.
“She’s a very dangerous player. I was happy I could win the match today because I have more experience.”