Maria Sharapova of Russia hits a forehand return to Karin Knapp of Italy during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne. Photo / AP
No.3 seed Maria Sharapova has survived brutal conditions and remarkable resistance from little-known Italian Karin Knapp to advance to the third round at Melbourne Park in the longest women's match of the 2014 Australian Open.
Sharapova blew three match points in the ninth game of the deciding set, but hung
tough to eventually win 6-3 4-6 10-8 in an epic match lasting three hours and 28 minutes.
The extreme heat policy was invoked early in the one-hour 55-minute final set but it had no effect on the match, with the set completed with the roof remaining open on Rod Laver Arena.
Sharapova, 26, has won each of the four majors once, with her sole Australian Open title coming back in 2008.
Knapp had only won one match in three previous Australian Open campaigns.
