Sharapova through after tough test

Number one seed Maria Sharapova reached the second round of the Australian Open after battling through “one of the toughest matches I’ve played here”.

The former Wimbledon champion recorded a hard-fought 6-3 4-6 9-7 victory over Camille Pin despite midday temperatures of up to 36C prompting all play on the outside courts to be suspended as the tournament’s extreme heat policy was invoked.

The 19-year-old, who was also suffering from a stomach problem, began in impressive fashion and claimed the first set but was surprisingly pegged back by Frenchwoman Pin in the second.

Sharapova looked on course to claim the match after opening a 5-0 lead in the deciding set but Pin won five straight games to level and then served for the match at 7-6.

However, the world number 62 wasted the chance as she stood two points from a famous victory and Sharapova’s class and power eventually came through after an epic third set at the Rod Laver Arena.

“It was one of the toughest matches I’ve played here,” said Sharapova, who will play fellow Russian Anastassia Rodionova in round two. “It’s definitely not my best tennis.”

Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis cruised into the second round with emphatic straight set victories.

Fourth seed Clijsters, who is set to retire at the end of the season, needed just 44 minutes to record a 6-0 6-0 triumph over Russia’s Vasilisa Bardina.

Bardina won just 15 points against Clijsters, who will face Akiko Morigami or Tsvetana Pironkova in the next round.

Hingis dropped just two games in recording a 6-0 6-2 victory over Nathalie Dechy in 54 minutes to set-up a second round meeting with either Alla Kudryavtseva or Emma Laine.