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10:02 pm | January 17, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:

2:48 AM ET

ESPN News Services

MELBOURNE, Australia — Maria Sharapova showed that she’s ready to be a Grand Slam factor once again, eliminating defending champion Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.

Sharapova’s victory Friday was built on aggressive groundstrokes that gave her a 37-10 edge in total winners.

She is seeded only 30th at Melbourne Park, where she won the 2008 title for one of her five Grand Slam trophies but hasn’t been past the quarterfinals since 2015.

Wozniacki was the No. 3 seed in Australia, a year after beating Simona Halep in the final here to claim her first major championship.

Sharapova moves on to face local favorite Ashleigh Barty, who defeated Maria Sakkari 7-5, 6-1 in their third-round match earlier Friday.

In other women’s matches Friday, 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova showed why there are those who consider her a possible future star, producing one spectacular shot after another to upset 11th-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3, 6-2 and reach the fourth round.

Anisimova is the youngest American to get this far at Melbourne Park since Jennifer Capriati in 1993, and at any Grand Slam tournament since Serena Williams at the 1998 French Open.

“This is an unreal feeling,” Anisimova said in an on-court interview. “I can’t believe that this is happening right now.”

Anisimova, who was born in New Jersey and is based in Florida, has knocked off two seeds already, including the hard-hitting Sabalenka, who was many a pundit’s pick for a deep run at Melbourne Park.

She has dropped only 17 games through three matches, displaying clean and dangerous shot-making and impeccable court coverage, including in a 12-stroke exchange in the second set that ended with a squash-like forehand that looped past Sabalenka and somehow landed in a corner for a winner.

“I’m really feeling good out here,” said Anisimova, who is coached by her father. “I’m playing some really good tennis.”

Anisimova’s first trip to Australia, and third appearance at a major tournament, now progresses to Week 2 and a matchup against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova or Belinda Bencic, whose match was scheduled for Friday night.

Also Friday, No. 5 Sloane Stephens survived two tough tiebreak sets to beat No. 31 Petra Martic 7-6, 7-6.

Stephens moves on to face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, who defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-0, 6-3 earlier in the day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.