Second seed Maria Sharapova launched her Australian Open campaign in emphatic fashion, crushing Petra Martic of Croatia in straight sets to send an ominous warning to her rivals.
The Russian five-time Grand Slam champion can regain the coveted number one ranking from arch-rival Serena Williams if she wins a second title at Melbourne Park and was all business as she downed Martic 6-4, 6-1.
The 27-year-old said she was benefitting from a strong lead-in to the season-opening Grand Slam, when she won the Brisbane International.
“I made a few to many unforced errors but overall I'm glad I got through,” Sharapova said. “She was a tough opponent and was really inspired.”
There were promising signs her hot run of form in Brisbane was continuing at Melbourne Park as she fired down two early aces and won around 90 percent of points on her first serve in the opening exchanges.
Sharapova broke Martic in the fifth game and then again in the seventh, threatening to run away with the match until mistakes at crucial points, including two double faults late in the first set, allowed the Croat to hang on.
Sharapova, the Australian Open champion in 2008, had the chance to serve out the first set at 5-2 but Martic rallied and it finally ended 6-4 in the Russian's favour.
The world number two's intensity and volume increased as the match progressed and she psyched herself up with cries of “C'mon Maria”.
She decisively seized the momentum in the second game of the next set when Martic fended off two break points but succumbed to a third.
The Croatian never recovered and the rest of the match was a one-sided affair as Sharapova snuffed out her opponent's resistance, relentlessly exploiting Martic's popgun second serve.
She will face compatriot Alexandra Panova in the second round. – AFP