 London: Maria Sharapova beat Britain`s Laura Robson, ranked 98 in the world, in the second round of the Olympic tournament Tuesday, but the Russian No. 1 was made to sweat.
The players exchanged breaks in the first set, with Sharapova needing a tie-break to clinch it on her first set point.
Sharapova then shifted gear, charging to a 7-5(6), 6-3 win.
In the third round, Russian Olympic flag bearer will encounter 15th seed Sabine Lisicki, who battled through the fierce resistance of Kazakhstan`s Yaroslava Shvedoda in a three-set thriller 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
It will be the second match between the two players over the last month, as it was the German right-hander who upset Sharapova in the fourth round of Wimbledon at the beginning of July.
Elsewhere, Germany`s Julia Goerges, who slayed second seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the first round, eliminated Varvara Lepchenko of the US 6-3, 7-5.
Goerges, 23, will face the winner of Maria Kirilenko, seeded 14, and Britain`s Heather Watson.
IANS
First Published: Wednesday, August 1, 2012, 11:03
|