Sharapova to face Bouchard in Aus Open quarters

Second-seed eased to a win over China’s Peng Shuai; Third-seed Halep also through to the last-eight in Melbourne.

Sharapova of Russia celebrates defeating Peng of China to win their women''s singles match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne
Sharapova took 75 minutes to end Shuai's challenge in the match [Reuters]

Maria Sharapova set up an enticing quarter-final showdown with Eugenie Bouchard at the Australian Open following a comfortable 6-3, 6-0 fourth round victory over China’s Peng Shuai.

The second-seed broke Peng twice in the first set, though she had some trouble on serve with the Chinese holding four break points, and winning one, in a marathon seventh game.

Sharapova, however, wasted little time in finishing off Peng, breaking in the first game of the second set and using that as a springboard to romp to a 75-minute victory.

The Russian will face Bouchard who sealed a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu.

Third-seed Simona Halep broke her hoodoo against Belgian Yanina Wickmayer with a 6-4 6-2 win to also sail into the quarter-finals.

Halep faces Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova for a place in the semi-finals.

Results:

3-Simona Halep (Romania) beat Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 6-4 6-2

2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat 21-Peng Shuai (China) 6-3 6-0

10-Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) beat Julia Goerges (Germany) 6-3 6-2

7-Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) beat Irina Begu (Romania) 6-1 5-7 6-2

Source: Reuters