Australian Open 2018: Angelique Kerber sets up Maria Sharapova clash, misery for Garbine Muguruza


Angelique Kerber celebrated her 30th birthday with a straight-sets win over Donna Vekic to set up a mouthwatering Australian Open third-round clash with Maria Sharapova, while Garbine Muguruza was among five seeded women to crash out Thursday.

Kerber endured a barren 2017 after claiming two Grand Slam titles the previous year — her first coming at Melbourne Park — but the German has made a superb start to this season and brushed aside Vekic, 6-4, 6-1, on a sweltering summer day.

The crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to the left-hander after her victory at Margaret Court Arena, but Sharapova will not come bearing gifts in a battle of two former world No. 1s.

Sharapova saw off 14th seed Anastasija Sevastova, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4), on an eventful, baking-hot day that saw Muguruza become the biggest casualty in the women's draw, Hsieh Su-wei shocking the Wimbledon champion, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4.

Simona Halep's ankle injury did not appear to hamper her, the world No. 1 beating Eugenie Bouchard, 6-2, 6-2, but Johanna Konta, Elena Vesnina and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni were the other seeds to make early exits.

AGE JUST A NUMBER TO RESURGENT KERBER
After failing to claim a single title last year, Kerber already has a Sydney International success in the bag in 2018 and has looked ominous in the first two rounds.
Vekic was unable to spoil a landmark birthday for the left-hander, who needed only 70 minutes to stretch her winning streak to 11 matches and says she is relishing what her 30s have to hold.

The 21st seed said: "Yeah, getting older. I was waking up this morning, I said, 'OK, the 2 is gone right now. I think I'm looking forward to the 30s. Also, I'm feeling the same as I did yesterday. I am feeling healthy. I'm still fit.

"I still enjoy my tennis. I'm not looking too much about the age, just how I'm feeling. I'm still feeling young."

No better way to celebrate your birthday than getting yourself through to 3R @AngeliqueKerber #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/cWhxIm1nDO
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2018

MISERY FOR MUGURUZA

While Kerber has hit the ground running in 2018, the same cannot be said of Muguruza, who was stunned by the 88-ranked Hsieh.
The third seed has suffered with a thigh injury and cramps this month and took a medical timeout for blisters, but said that was not the reason for her surprise exit.

"I was wrapped and with a lot of taping, but just to try to make it better," the Spaniard said. "I was pretty happy, because I didn't run a lot today, I didn't really feel it. It was getting to the process of really recovering. That's it."

Wow. Just...wow.

No. 82 Su-Wei #Hsieh shocks third seed Garbine #Muguruza in a straight sets 7-6(1) 6-4 victory. Muguruza went 8/32 on second serve while Hsieh went 15/29.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Au9g0CRH0C
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2018

HALEP DEFIES THE PAIN
Halep said she is still troubled by a twisted ankle sustained in her first match against Destanee Aiava, but the top seed defied the pain to stay in the hunt for a first major title.

Bouchard racked up 26 unforced errors on Margaret Court Arena and held serve only once as Halep applied the pressure with her remarkable retrieving skills, sealing an emphatic win.

Asked about her injury, the Romanian, who will now face Lauren Davis, said: "Well, I still feel pain. Also, I couldn't practice much. But during the match, I just forgot about it. I had very tight tape [applied]. I could move.
"The most important thing is that I could play my game not thinking ab
out the ankle. I did it great today."

"I feel the pain but I didn't think about it. I just wanted to play the match and to win it."

[1] @SIMONA_Halep defeats Eugenie #Bouchard 6-2 6-2 to progress to the third round.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/M6mSqZJ2TJ
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2018

SEEDS CONTINUE TO FALL
Ninth seed Konta, a 2016 semifinalist in Melbourne, was on the end of a humbling at the hands of Bernarda Pera, the 123-ranked lucky loser winning, 6-4, 7-5.

Sharapova's success against 14th seed Sevastova was by no means unexpected, but Naomi Osaka's straight-sets win over 16th seed Vesnina raised eyebrows, and Aliaksandra Sasnovich made light work of ousting Lucic-Baroni, seeded 28.