By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 29, 2015
Maria Sharapova beat Samantha Stosur, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the Roland Garros round of 16 for the 11th time.
Photo credit: Roland Garros
A new pair of Nikes was delivered to Maria Sharapova during a first-set changeover. After a series of early service breaks, Sharapova put her foot down and stomped out Samantha Stosur's threat.
In a match of Grand Slam champions, Sharapova powered past Stosur, 6-3, 6-4, into the French Open fourth round for the 11th time.
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Still battling a cough, Sharapova was stricken by a shaky second serve in the opening. She hit five of her six double faults and won just five points on her second serve in the first set. But the two-time champion settled down, found her range and patiently shredded Stosur's backhand in scoring her 65th win in her last 71 clay-court matches.
Next up for Sharapova is a fourth-round meeting with left-hander Lucie Safarova. The 13th-seeded Czech defeated No. 20 seed Sabine Lisicki, 6-3, 7-6 (2). Sharapova has won four of five meetings with Safarova, including four in a row.
If their next meeting is anything like their last, it should be a thriller. The Russian edged Safarova 7-6 (5), 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2) in a three hour, 23-minute thriller on red clay at the 2014 Stuttgart.
Totday's match was a rematch of the 2014 fourth round that saw Stosur use her heavy kick serve to push Sharapova to three sets before bowing.
The 2010 French Open finalist knew she needed to serve big to set up forehand strikes against the flatter-hitting Russian. Stosur had some success chipping her slice backhand short in the court, dragging Sharapova inside the service box into unsettled territory. Ultimately, Sharapova's menacing return nullified the Aussie's major weapon.
Sharapova punished the Stosur serve, winning 9 of 15 points played on her first delivery and breaking three times to take the opener. Stosur netted a backhand down the line — her 19th unforced error of the set — as Sharapova converted her second set point.
Sliding her first ace down the middle, Stosur held with a firm "come on" for a 2-1 second-set lead. It was the first time all day Stosur strung successive holds together.
Scoreboard pressure —combined with Sharapova's ruthless return —conspired against Stosur in the seventh game. She coughed up two double faults, scattering a second serve wide on break point to donate the break and a 4-3 lead.
Pumping her fist as she walked to her seat, Sharapova showed the positive body language of a woman ready to close.
Serving for match, a stretched Sharapova stabbed a forehand volley in scrape out the opening point. On match point No. 3, Stosur slapped a forehand wide and a fired up Sharapova unleashed a double fist pump.