MELBOURNE, Australia — Maria Sharapova steadied herself and overcame a feisty opponent to beat American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-0 to reach the fourth round.
The five-time Grand Slam winner raced through the first set Friday in just 26 minutes, then struggled through a 77-minute second set before coming back in the third to earn her 600th career win.
Sharapova served 16 aces but made 42 unforced errors, compared to just 34 by her 103rd-ranked opponent.
The No. 5-seeded Sharapova faces Swiss teen Belinda Bencic in the next round and could meet top-ranked rival Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
Sharapova hasn't beaten Williams since 2004, losing their last 17 meetings, including last year's Australian Open final.
Sharapova wins in 3 sets to advance in Aussie Open
Maria Sharapova of Russia serves to Lauren Davis of the United States during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 22, 2016. | AP Photo/Aaron Favila