Melbourne, Australia — Maria Sharapova played two nearly flawless sets on either side of the one where she struggled against Lauren Davis in a slight hiccup at the Australian Open. Sharapova, who won the title here in 2008 and has lost three finals – including last year’s decider to Serena Williams – advanced to the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 on Friday, her 600th tour-level match win. Maria Sharapova serves against Lauren Davis whom she beat in three sets, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 on Friday, to advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open. (AP) “Wow. I’ve won 600 matches?” Sharapova asked, responding to a question in an on-court interview. “Is this like a friendly reminder that I’m getting old? Might be.” The 28-year-old, five-time major winner is playing her 13th Australian Open since 2003 so she knew what to expect when she lost concentration in [...]
