Maria Sharapova is through to the French Open fourth round after she recorded a straight-sets success over Zheng Jie.
The number two seed started the match in fluent fashion, breezing into a 5-0 lead before eventually sealing the set 6-1.
However, Zheng fought back in the second, moving into a 4-2 advantage, but she crucially missed a point for a 5-2 lead.
That handed the initiative back to Sharapova, and four consecutive breaks of serve ensured that she moved into the next round, where she will face American Sloane Stephens.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the French Open third-round clash between Zheng Jie and Maria Sharapova.
On paper, this looks like a formality for the world number two, who is as low as 1/25 with some bookmakers, but Zheng has proven already this week that she is more than capable of playing well on clay.
Looking back at Sharapova's route to the third round, she easily dispensed of Hsieh Su-Wei in the opening round, before she brushed aside Eugenie Bouchard in their second-round match yesterday.
Zheng comes into this afternoon's match with a similar passage, losing just nine games in her victories over Vesna Dolonc and Melanie Oudin, and the Chinese player's confidence must be high as she prepares to take on the defending champion.
The two players have met just three times on the WTA Tour, with all the encounters being played on hard surfaces. Sharapova currently holds a 2-1 advantage, but their last meeting came three years ago.
The winner of today's match will face number 17 seed Sloane Stephens in the fourth round after she edged out New Zealand's Marina Erakovic in three sets.
The two players are ready to start, and it will be Zheng Jie to serve.
BREAK! It is a positive start from Zheng, who races into a 30-0 lead, but a strong return and a double fault brings Sharapova back to 30-30. The Russian's forehand already looks relentless and she forces Zheng to net to create a break point, and when the Chinese player goes long, it hands Sharapova the early advantage.
Sharapova looks dominant on the first point, but two double faults contribute to handing Zheng two break points. However, she can't capitalise, going long on the second to take the scores back to deuce. Zheng already looks a little disheartened and quickly falls 2-0 behind.
BREAK! Sharapova is soon into a 0-30 lead, but a strong second serve gets Zheng back to 30-30, which is followed by a superb backhand down the line, forcing the Russian into the error. However, the defending champion remains undeterred with some powerful hitting, and Zheng is finding it difficult to put a string of points together.
You feel that only unforced errors on Sharapova's part is going to keep Zheng in this match. A neat combination forcing the Chinese onto the defensive allows Sharapova to step into the court to move 30-15 ahead, but Zheng replies with a stunning forehand at the net that is hit straight at the Russian. That only seems to rile Sharapova, and she wins the next two points, sealing the game with a second-serve ace.
BREAK! Two heavy returns of serve surprise Zheng, and Sharapova is two points from the triple break, but a backhand from the number two seed goes long. However, Sharapova's ruthlessness from the back of the court continues to create break point, and Zheng goes long to fall a game away from losing the set to love.
BREAK! Now then, Zheng forces two errors off the Sharapova racquet to move 0-30 up, but a tremendous cross-court forehand reduces the deficit. The Russian has dropped her intensity a little, and another error gives Zheng two break points, and she strikes on the first after Sharapova netted a forehand.
FIRST SET! Sharapova is soon back into the groove, thundering the ball back at Zheng twice in succession. She goes long on the third point, but a cross-court backhand brings up two set points. She only needs one, when Zheng goes marginally long, and that's the first set done and dusted in 35 minutes.
BREAK! The only consolation for Zheng during that set was that she managed to get a game on the board. Since then, normal service has been resumed, and the hitting of Sharapova suggests that she wants to wrap up this match as soon as possible. However, Zheng has other ideas after capitalising on a poor second serve, and then the Russian double faults twice in succession. She regains her composure to save the break point, but then nets to hand Zheng a further chance and this time, she takes it after Sharapova sends the ball into the net again.
Sharapova has lost her way a little, conceding two more errors to allow Zheng to move to 30-0. A further mistake sees Zheng move to 40-15 and a wonderfully worked point sees the 29-year-old delicately clip the ball over the net for the game.
That's much more positive from Sharapova, who makes little out of failing to take advantage of a poor drop shot from Zheng to storm through her service game, sealing it with her second ace.
Zheng's confidence has sky-rocketed since the opening few games of the match, and she is moving her opponent around the court with ease. The Russian hangs tough, however, and some more power hitting takes her to deuce. Zheng looks determined though, and she forces Sharapova into another error to consolidate her break of serve.
BREAK! It seemed extremely unlikely that this match would still be going given the fashion that Zheng opened up the match, but she overpowers her opponent to create three points for the double break. Sharapova saves the first two, and there is a bit of controversy over the third, as it is judged that Sharapova has double-faulted, but despite taking a closer look at the ball mark, the umpire has looked at the wrong mark. Hmmm...
BREAK! In all fairness to Sharapova, even though she has struggled in this set, her mentality hasn't changed and she continues to go for her shots. It pays off in this game, forcing Zheng into three errors before hitting a winner from inside the baseline.
The composure is beginning to return to the Russian, while there are more and more errors coming off the racquet of Zheng. However, Sharapova's sixth double fault gives the Chinese a lift and she fights back to deuce. Sharapova earns game point, but two points from Zheng gives her the opportunity for the double break, but she seems to stumble, and it is back to deuce. This time, the number two seed manages to serve out the game, and she is back to within one. A crucial game coming up.
BREAK! The first two points are shared, before Sharapova steps into a return to move ahead. The power of the defending champion is scary at times, and another forehand winner brings up two break points, and she levels proceedings at the first opportunity when Zheng fires the ball long.
BREAK! There looks to be no stopping Sharapova at the moment. She is dominating every point, and once the ball drops into the middle of the court, she is rarely making a mistake. However, the inconsistency on her serve creeps back in and her seventh double fault brings Zheng back to 40-30 and a backhand error takes it to deuce. This is quite remarkable, as she goes wide with a backhand and Zheng has break point, but Sharapova overpowers her twice in a row. This a topsy-turvy game at its finest, and Zheng fights back to earn another break point, and out of nowhere in that game, the Chinese player will serve for the set.
BREAK! Zheng opens up the game with a flat forehand down the line for 15-0, but a huge return brings the scores level. This is venomous hitting from Sharapova and she quickly establishes two break points. Zheng looks in charge of the point, but the Russian manages to wrong-foot her opponent before planting a forehand into the corner of the court. There has been 11 breaks of serve in this match.
The determination of Sharapova is being felt with every shriek, and she is eager to get this wrapped-up in two sets. Her forehand is such a powerful weapon and Zheng can't move from off the baseline. Zheng has been broken in her last three service games, but she will have to hold here or else she will be out of the tournament.
MARIA SHARAPOVA IS THROUGH TO THE FRENCH OPEN FOURTH ROUND
Zheng goes wide on the opening point to immediately hand Sharapova the initiative, but two excellent forehands sneak inside the line to make it 30-15. Sharapova then nets off a solid first serve, but remains in the game when Zheng mis-cues a drop shot, before sending a forehand long. A huge shot from Sharapova then helps set up match point as Zheng goes long once more, and she quickly seals the match with another return that Zheng can't cope with. It has been a mixed performance from the defending champion, but she has progressed through to the next round.
Sharapova will now go through to play Sloane Stephens, but she will need to improve on that display. At times, she was scintillating, but her inconsistency on serve always gave Zheng hope. The Russian won just half of the points on her serve, but a major positive was breaking her opponent's serve on eight occasions.
Thank you for joining us this afternoon for what was an entertaining tussle, and we hope to see you again soon. Goodbye for now.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
