MELBOURNE — Maria Sharapova declared herself free from the worry of a forearm injury after charging into the Australian Open third round on Wednesday.
The fifth seeded Russian had to pull out of the leadup Brisbane International with a sore left forearm but was in full flight in a 6-2 6-1 rout of unseeded Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich, the early match at the Rod Laver Arena.
"Yeah, I feel pretty good. I felt I was more confident with my left hand today," Sharapova, runnerup last year to Serena Williams, told reporters.
"That's always something that -- especially when it's like in the hand-wrist area -- it's in the back of your mind even though you're feeling it.