Azarenka Advances to Round Three of Aussie Open

Defending champion Victoria Azarenka was a 6-1, 6-4 winner Thursday in Melbourne at the Australian Open, advancing to round three after dispatching Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

"There was a moment when I think I just dropped my intensity a little bit and was watching her a little bit too much," Azarenka said. "She obviously played amazing defense today, getting a lot of balls back. But I'm glad I could just turn it around in the end and get back to how I was playing in the first set."

Azarenka will next face Yvonne Meusburger, a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 winner Thursday over the number 33 seed, Bojana Jovanovski.

It took Maria Sharapova nearly three-and-a-half hours, but on Thursday, she defeated Karin Knapp 6-3, 4-6 10-8 in blazing temps that neared 107 degrees Fahrenheit in Melbourne.

"There's no way of getting around the fact that the conditions were extremely difficult, and have been like that the last few days," Sharapova said. "But you're really just trying to get through the match in the best possible way. No matter how you're playing, you're trying to make it as safe as possible. I'm really happy to get through today. I really am. I worked really hard in the last few months and I wanted this match. I didn't play my best tennis; I didn't do many things well. But I got through it."

Sharapova moves on to the third round where she will face the number 25 seed, Alizé Cornet, who rallied from 4-1 down in the third to beat Camila Giorgi, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

The 10th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki also moved on to round three Thursday, defeating American Christina McHale 6-0, 1-6, 6-2.

"I started off really well. I put the pressure on her, took the ball early, and I served really well," Wozniacki said. "The second set I built up quite a few opportunities and possibilities. But I just started missing a little bit more and she started going on a roll. In the third set I just tried to fight for every point and I think my fighting spirit today pulled me through in the end."

Wozniacki will next meet Garbiñe Muguruza, a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Anna Schmiedlova. Wozniacki met Muguruza once in her career, dropping the match in two sets last year in Miami.

American Sloane Stephens was among the others in the women’s draw advancing Thursday as well, after her 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Ajla Tomljanovic.

"I think it was scary, because we were playing through the lightning when it was like 2-0, or the 1-0 game," Stephens said. "It was lightning like crazy ridiculous. It was intense. Like that's the worst thing, to be outside when it's lightning, or to be in the middle of the ocean like by yourself."

Stephens will face Elina Svitolina from the Ukraine in round three for a shot at a potential round four matchup against the defending champ Azarenka.

Also moving onward Thursday was Agnieszka Radwanska, a 6-0, 7-5 win over Olga Govortsova

"I started really well today," Radwanska said. "I think then she tried to play more aggressive in the second set, I stepped backwards and suddenly I was a break down. But I'm just very happy that I could manage to win that second set and finish the match."

Up next in round three for Radwanska is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a 6-2, 6-2 winner Thursday over Mandy Minella.