Melbourne, Jan 18 (IANS): Russia's Maria Sharapova defeated defending Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 here on Friday.
The 30th-seeded 2008 Australian Open champion recorded her first win against Denmark's Wozniacki (seeded third) in a grand slam, as Sharapova was defeated by the Dane at the 2010 and 2014 US Opens, reports Efe.
"I knew I was going to get a tough match, she is the defending champion and it's no secret that she loves this arena," Sharapova said after the match.
"I haven't played many matches in the last year, especially against top players, and these are the types of matches that I train for. It's really rewarding to win that last point," she added.
Sharapova is set to play against the local favourite, Australia's 15th-seed Ashleigh Barty, who defeated Greece's Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4.