Sharapova beats Davenport in Australia

MELBOURNE, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Fifth-seeded Maria Sharapova derailed the comeback of Lindsey Davenport with a straight-set win Wednesday in the second round of the Australian Open.

Davenport had lost just once since returning to tournament play last summer following the birth of her son but was out-matched by Sharapova, last year's Australian Open runner-up. Sharapova jumped out to a 5-0 lead and fired off 26 winners in collecting a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Davenport.

Sharapova's fellow 2007 Australian Open finalist, Serena Williams, also was a straight-set winner Wednesday, stopping Meng Yung, 6-3, 6-1, and is 25-1 at the Australian Open since 2003.

World No. 1 Justine Henin ran her match winning streak to 30 with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Olga Poutchkova. Third-seeded Jelena Jankovic battled through a second set that took move than an hour before finishing off a 6-2, 7-5 win over Edina Gallovits.

There were a trio of upsets in the second tier of seeded players with Aravane Rezai eliminating 13th-seeded Tatiana Golovin, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; local favorite Casey Dellacqua beating No. 15-seeded Patty Schnyder, 4-6, 7-5, 8-6; and Su-Wei Hsieh upsetting 19th-seeded Sybille Bammer.

Also Wednesday, 11-seeded Elena Dementieva overcame Anabel Medina Garrigues, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3; 12th-seeded Nicole Vaidisova beat Alicia Molik, 6-2, 6-3; No. 17-seeded Shahar Peer handled Jessica Moore, 6-0, 7-5; 18th-seeded Amelie Mauresmo slipped past Yaroslava Shvedova, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); No. 25 Francesca Schiavone beat Angelique Kerber, 6-2, 6-3; 26th-seeded Victoria Azarenka swept past Sandra Kloesel, 6-1, 6-1; and 30th-seeded Virginie Razzano escaped Flavia Pennetta, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.