Sharapova, Li, Ferrer march on
MELBOURNE—Maria Sharapova has only lost five games in four matches on the way to the Australian Open quarterfinals, a record that seems to be immaterial to the 25-year-old Russian.
The No. 2-ranked Sharapova beat Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, 6-1, 60, on Sunday to continue a dominant and unparalleled run.
“Well I’m certainly happy to be playing this well but ... it only gets tougher from here,” said Sharapova, who is playing her first tournament of 2013 after withdrawing from an exhibition match in South Korea and a warmup event at Brisbane because of an injured right collarbone.
Steffi Graf conceded only eight games in her opening four matches here in 1989, when she won the second of her three straight Australian Open titles. Monica Seles matched that mark.
Sharapova has been even more dominant. She started with a pair of 6-0, 6-0 wins—the first time that has happened at a major since 1985—and then beat seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams, 6-1, 6-3, in the third round.
She next plays fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova, who ousted fifthseeded Angelique Kerber, 7-5, 6-4. Sharapova beat Makarova in the quarterfinals here last year.
Makarova, ranked 19th, is better prepared this time.
“I really want to play against Maria,” Makarova said. “Now I’m pretty confident and I like my game.
In a later fourth-round match, 2011 finalist Li Na saved a set point in the tiebreaker before beating Julia Goerges 7-6 (6), 6-1. She’ll next play No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska who No. 13 Ana Ivanovic, 6-2, 6-4 .
In men’s matches, fourth-seeded David Ferrer had a 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 win over No. 16 Kei Nishikori of Japan to reach the quarterfinals, where he will meet Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.
Almagro advanced later Sunday, leading 6-2, 5-1 when No. 8 Janko Tipsaveric retired from their fourthround match.
No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic, eyeing a third straight title here, had a night match against No. 15 Stanislas Wawrinka.