Maria Sharapova advances to round four

Maria Sharapova has advanced into round four in Indian Wells after a 6-3 6-4 victory over Simona Halep.

Halep performed well in the early stages of the opening set, but saw her serve twice broken as Sharapova claimed the opening set 6-3.

Sharapova was at her best in the second set as Halep struggled to stem the flow of pressure, with the Russian storming 5-0 ahead.

Halep remarkably secured four games late in the set, but Sharapova finished the match with a break to secure a 6-3 6-4 victory.