Unseeded Maria Sharapova showed she is a serious contender for this year’s Australian Open as she destroyed 14th seed Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) on Thursday.

Against an opponent who had thwarted the Russian’s Grand Slam comeback in the last 16 of the US Open last year, Sharapova sped through a scintillating first set in 23 power-packed minutes.

She wobbled when serving for the match but came through a tiebreak to set up a potential third-round clash against in-form 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, who plays Donna Vekic later.

Muguruza suffers blistering exit

Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza refused to blame her heat-blistered feet as she became one of the biggest casualties on Thursday.

The third seed, whose preparation was hampered by a thigh injury, was always trailing against the 88-ranked Hsieh Su-wei from Taiwan before being edged out 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 in one hour and 59 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

“I maybe could have done things better, but at the end, she deserves to win. That’s really it,” Muguruza told reporters.

Halep cruises into round 3

World number one Simona Halep cruised into the third round with an easy 6-2, 6-2 victory over Eugenie Bouchard.

The Romanian top seed needed just an hour and five minutes to sweep past the Canadian on Margaret Court Arena.

She will face unseeded American Lauren Davis on Saturday for a place in the last 16 as she steps up her quest for a first Grand Slam title.

Konta stunned in straight sets

British hope Johanna Konta’s love affair with the Australian Open came to an abrupt end when she was bundled out in the second round by American “lucky loser” Bernarda Pera.

She fell 6-4, 7-5 to the 123rd ranked Pera, who is playing her first Australian Open.

Sydney-born Konta first made her mark at Melbourne Park in 2016 when she reached the semi-finals, and she followed it up last year by making the last eight.

It is her most successful Grand Slam, but after an injury-marred lead-up the ninth seed’s campaign is over.

Pliskova hardly sweats in sweltering Melbourne

Karolina Pliskova wasted little time in getting out of the heat and back to the sanctuary of the locker room with a 44-minute cruise.

The sixth seed sped past Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-1 as the mercury nudged towards a sweltering 39 Celsius at Melbourne Park.

Pliskova next faces fellow Czech and 29th seed Lucie Safarova, who also enjoyed a straightforward passage to the third round, 6-2, 6-4 against Sorana Cirstea of Romania.

Garcia prevails in a marathon in heat

World number eight Caroline Garcia showed no ill effects of a recent back injury to endure a marathon in the heat.

But the battling Frenchwoman, who had a breakout year in 2017, was taken all the way by Czech teen Marketa Vondrousova in grinding out a 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 8-6 victory.

“I tried to keep calm and keep fighting to the end,” said Garcia after two hours and 29 minutes of play on a red-hot Hisense Arena.

Women’s singles 2nd round results:

Bernarda Pera (USA) bt Johanna Konta (GBR x9) 6-4, 7-5

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE x20) bt Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 6-3, 6-4

Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x14) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4)

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x26) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3

Caroline Garcia (FRA x8) bt Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 8-6

Lauren Davis (USA) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0

Lucie Safarova (CZE x29) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 6-2, 6-4

Karolina Pliskova (CZE x6) bt Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) 6-1, 6-1

Hsieh Su-wei (TPE) bt Garbine Muguruza (ESP x3) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4

Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO x28) 6-3, 6-1

Angelique Kerber (GER x21) bt Donna Vekic (CRO) 6-4, 6-1

Ana Bogdan (ROM) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 1-6, 6-2, 6-3

Naomi Osaka (JPN) bt Elena Vesnina (RUS x16) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2

Madison Keys (USA x17) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 6-0, 6-1

Ashleigh Barty (AUS x18) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-1

(with inputs from AFP)