IT was a game of big hitting and loud grunting with both players leaving nothing to chance and putting everything out on the court. The crowd support for Maria Sharapova was high with plenty of fans spurring her on, but Donna Vekic seemed to have the upper hand when it came to the game play, running out victorious against the former number one, 6-3 6-4.

Vekic showcased her hot form, snatching a service game off Sharapova while doing damage with her own serves to give her some separation in the games department. Sharapova made a heap of errors in the early half of the set, appearing unsettled and unable to find her rhythm. Meanwhile the Croatian just went from strength to strength, delivering two consecutive aces in the fourth game to prove she is not here to muck around. Vekic was strong across the court, getting her feet to the ball and not reaching while her power hitting was on full display. The Croatian was cool, calm and collected, unfazed by Sharapova who was throwing everything at her in a bid to stay within touch of the world number 13. The wildcard recipient was not about to lie down without trying, pushing up close to the net and using her footwork to reply with carefully crafted shots. The Russian upped the ante as the set went on, prevailing in the rallies and running Vekic off her feet with shot placement. Sharapova made her move midway through the set but it was not enough to upset the flow of Vekic who powered through to claim the opening set.

The second started with plenty of intensity and heat with Sharapova bursting out of the blocks and claiming the first game before Vekic bit back, holding strong in the second game to put them on an even playing field of one game apiece. After a solid opening set Vekic seemed to have lost her concentration and groove, finding the net more times than not and misjudging her shot placement. On the other hand, the Russian had a hunger in her eyes desperate to make amends for her earlier set and push the game to three sets, displaying great acceleration and ability to read the high ball coming into the net and delivering. The former Australian Open winner worked her way back into the match with her dominant serve and clever ball placement doing all the talking while also proving that she was not going to be some easy-beat, taking it up to Vekic. Despite Sharapova having most of the momentum in the second set, Vekic dug deep, pulling herself out of her rut and lifting her pressure to create unforced errors on her opponents’ behalf and delivering shots down the line with precision. The Croatian kicked it up a gear when it counted using her speed, smarts and silky skills to reign supreme and move through to the next stage of the Australian Open.

It was a disappointing end for Sharapova who put up a strong fight in the beginning of the second. all but nullifying Vekic with her big hitting and impressive movement across the court. Not much separated the pair when it came to serves with Vekic winning 66 per cent of her first serves and Sharapova producing the goods 62 per cent of the time. Although Sharapova was faster on the second serve averaging a speed of 147km, the Croatian made her presence felt on the first averaging 177km. In the end, the unforced errors were Sharapova’s ultimate undoing, notching up 31, 14 more than her opponent who capitalised on every opportunity that came her way. Vekic was also dominant at the net winning 100 per cent of her points there while Sharapova only managed 33 per cent.