(CNN) -- Second seed Maria Sharapova continued her quest for a career grand slam with a convincing win at the French Open on Friday, while world No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska and former champion Ana Ivanovic crashed out of the Paris tournament.
Sharapova has tasted success at three of tennis' four grand slams, but she has been no further than the semifinals at Roland Garros -- losing at that stage last year and in 2007.
However, the Russian looked in fine form as she brushed aside Japan's world No. 88 Ayumi Morita 6-1 6-1 in exactly one hour to set up a third-round tie with Chinese 25th seed Peng Shuai.
The match was originally scheduled to take place on Thursday, but it was delayed by Paul-Henri Mathieu's marathon win against John Isner in the men's tournament.
Sharapova ready for tough clay challenge
Maria Sharapova strikes the perfect pose as she puts away a forehand during this year's Australian Open.
Sharapova's winning design
Maria Sharapova has come a long way since turning professional on her 14th birthday in April 2001, having played the game since she was four years old.
Maria Sharapova's French Open dream
World No. 4 Maria Sharapova has long been known for her on-court shrieks and the Russian has recently attracted criticism as a result. The three-time grand slam champion claimed she will continue to make the noises until they are outlawed.
The noisiest players in tennis
"I had never faced my opponent before, and when she has time she really goes for her shots, so I wanted to get her on the move," the 25-year-old Sharapova said on the WTA Tour's website.
"I played well, aggressive, and moved in when I had to. With every round I'm going to be playing tougher opponents, and that's when you really want to raise your level. That's what I'll try to do in the next round."
Sharapova's compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova produced the day's biggest shock by registering a comfortable 6-1 6-2 third-round win against Radwanska, who eliminated former world No. 1 Venus Williams on Wednesday.
"I haven't played that well in a long time," said the 2009 French Open champion. "I was in control of my things.
"When I feel in control of my moves and am not depending so much on my opponent, it brings me the best feelings. That's why I really enjoy tennis, that's why I love tennis. And I haven't had this feeling for quite some time."
The world No. 28's reward is a last-16 encounter with Italy's Sara Errani, who also upset the odds to progress as she knocked out Ivanovic.
The 21st seed came from one set down to beat the Serbian 1-6 7-5 6-3. Ivanovic has not been past the fourth round of the clay-court event since winning the title four years ago.
"I was really pleased the way I started," said Ivanovic, who followed fellow former world No. 1s Serena and Venus Williams in exiting the tournament. "I was really aggressive and created a lot of opportunities for myself.
"Then in the second and third sets she started raising her level a lot and putting a lot more on the ball. I also started getting a bit flatfooted and hitting more unforced errors as the match went on."
Australian sixth seed Samantha Stosur, the beaten finalist in 2010, breezed past Russian No. 27 Nadia Petrova 6-3 6-3. The 2011 U.S. Open winner set up a match with American youngster Sloane Stephens.
Stephens' 6-3 6-2 win against France's Mathilde Johansson meant the 70th-ranked 19-year-old reached the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time in her career.
Loading weather data ...
© 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Her dress for the tennis season's opening grand slam was designed to embrace fashion and high performance.
Sharapova's collection is being sported by a number of players including Indy De Vroome of the Netherlands.
Sharapova's tennis shoes are color co-ordinated with the dress range and are among the lightest and most flexible in the market.
America's 13-time grand slam champion Serena Williams also unveiled a collection of dresses for the 2012 Australian Open.
In 2006, Sharapova made heads turn with her "Little Black Dress" -- an outfit encrusted with beaded crystals which she wore as she claimed the U.S. Open crown.
Sharapova's intensity and desire to win have kept her at the top of the women's game since her first grand slam title in 2004.
Sharapova at the launch of a Cole Haan collection of clothing and accessories bearing her name.
Sharapova was spotted at an early age by former great Martina Navratilova and after moving to the United States she was enrolled into the famous Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida at the age of nine.
The Russian became the third youngest female to win Wimbledon in 2004 aged just 17. She beat Serena Williams in the final to spark huge interest the papers labelled "Maria Mania."
Third seed Victoria Azarenka was the subject of taunts from fans at the Australian Open who began to mimic her unique screams during a second round win over home-crowd favorite Casey Dellacqua.
American Serena Williams has long been a leading light in women's tennis, in terms of winning tournaments and booming grunts. Whether the grunts benefit a player is the subject of some debate, but they certainly haven't hindered Williams. The 30-year-old has registered 13 grand slam triumphs.
It would appear that grunting runs in the family, with Venus Williams matching her sister Serena in terms of noise and top-level success. Venus, one year older than her sibling, has collected seven major titles.
Monica Seles was screaming her way to success long before any of today's professionals. The Yugoslavia-born American won nine grand slam titles during her 19-year ear-splitting career.
American Jimmy Connors has played more ATP Tour matches than anyone else, winning eight grand slams during a glittering 24-year career. Connors is also widely credited with introducing grunting to top-level tennis.
|