Australian Open 2019: Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki beaten in grudge match against Maria Sharapova
Defending Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki saw her reign ended after a bruising three-set defeat in her grudge match with Maria Sharapova.
The battle of two of the biggest names in the game did not disappoint but in the end Sharapova's fierce hitting won the day as she surged to a 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
Not surprisingly, the Russian was in a good-humoured mood afterwards, saying: "It was a good win. I feel pretty happy about it. (I'm) even wearing a crop top. I'm really happy. I don't pull those out often."
It has been hard work for Sharapova, who added: "To be in the grind of things and to really have to figure out a way to be on top is what I missed. I didn't really get many of those chances.
"Maybe Halep a year and a half ago at the US Open was where I was challenged like that. And I can think of maybe one or two other matches. I think you learn a lot, and when you put yourself in those positions and you get through, those are great, great victories."
Wozniacki is the highest-ranked opponent Sharapova has beaten since her first-round victory over Simona Halep at the US Open in 2017.
That was her first grand slam tournament back after her 15-month doping ban and at the time seemed to be a sign of the Russian's impending resurgence.
It has not happened that way, though, with Sharapova struggling to find anything like her previous form and also troubled by injuries, with an ongoing shoulder problem prompting her to shut down her season after the US Open last summer.
The 31-year-old bristled a little at the suggestion she needed a statement win like this to kick her comeback into gear but there was no doubt she was fired up for this encounter.
There is no love lost between the two players. Wozniacki was one of the most outspoken critics of the way Sharapova was welcomed back to the game following her ban, prompting the Russian's agent Max Eisenbud to brand Wozniacki a "journeyman player".
Sharapova will face Australian hope Ashleigh Barty next.
THE DEFENDING CHAMP IS OUT! @MariaSharapova with a sensational display to beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 4-6 6-3 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Rfsb80BJ9Z
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) January 18, 2019
Teenager Anisimova in the big time
Seventeen-year-old Amanda Anisimova burst into the big time with a stunning win over Aryna Sabalenka to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The American teenager has been marked out for a big future for a while but this performance showed she is ready to make an impact at the latter stages of the grand slams right now.
Sabalenka, 20, has enjoyed her own rapid rise and went into the tournament as many pundits' pick for the title, but even her powerful game was no match for Anisimova.
The teenager looked like she played big matches on Margaret Court Arena every day and powered 21 winners past a bewildered Sabalenka, clinching victory in just 65 minutes.
Asked for her biggest tennis dream, Anisimova replied: "I want to win this tournament right now."
In the fourth round, Anisimova takes on in-form eighth seed Petra Kvitova, who defeated Belinda Bencic 6-1 6-4.
Anisimova can take confidence from already having beaten Kvitova on her way to the fourth round in Indian Wells last spring.
Fifth seed Sloane Stephens battled to a 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (7/5) victory over Petra Martic while American Danielle Collins reached the fourth round at a slam for the first time with a 6-3 6-2 win against 19th seed Caroline Garcia.
Angelique Kerber rounded off the day's action with a 6-1 6-0 dismissal of Australian wild card Kimberly Birrell.
The German did not she concede a break point and both unforced errors came in the final game of a match which lasted less than an hour.
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