Maria Sharapova beats world number 150 Alexandra Panova at the Australian Open after surviving a huge scare as she saved two match points. Sharapova, the second seed, had been in danger of becoming the most famous victim of qualifier Alexandra Panova’s career before she banged out four booming forehand winners to stave off defeat at 5-4 down in the third set. Following that, the 27-year-old Russian kept her hopes alive before overhauling her fellow Russian to win 6-1 4-6 7-5. Qualifier Panova, 25, has never won a main draw match at a Grand Slam.
Sharapova raced through the first set in 26 minutes, winning two service games to love and breaking her Russian compatriot three times, but the 25-year-old Panova somehow clawed her way back. Panova, whose opening round win over Sorana Cirstea was her first in a grand slam main draw, took a 5-2 lead in the second before Sharapova battled back and had a chance to level it, but her opponent held her nerve to send the match to a deciding set. The world number two was dragged into a battle as her forehand and serve misfired, and Panova began to defend her serve more effectively. It was the outsider who dominated the opening stages of the decider, and Sharapova was on the brink when she smacked a backhand long to trail 4-1. Sharapova took an extended break between sets but grew more agitated as Panova seized a 2-0 lead, and then earned two match points serving at 5-4 before the five-time grand slam winner escaped.
“I was dwelling too much on my mistakes, what I was doing wrong, not really being in the present, something that I’m really usually good at,” Sharapova told reporters.
“At that point when you’re behind and you feel like you’re making a lot of errors, you don’t feel like you have a good rhythm, I just really tried to take it a point at a time, think positively and change my thought process.
“When other things aren’t working, maybe the mental side of things will help you out.
“I think in the end maybe that’s what did.”
“She came up with a good shots, with the winners. What could I do?” Panova said. “She’s a great fighter. She’s a great champion. To take it from her, you really need something extra.”
Panova A. vs Maria Sharapova, 21/01/2015, 01:50 GMT, Match Center
Australian Open: Sharapova wins, survives scare
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