By Mike Dickson for the Daily Mail
Published: 19:41 GMT, 18 January 2019 | Updated: 19:46 GMT, 18 January 2019
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The pained look on Caroline Wozniacki's face revealed how much it hurt to lose to a player who is one of her oldest adversaries on and off the court.
Not only had she lost her Australian Open title, she had lost a battle against Maria Sharapova that was always going to be more than just a tennis match.
There was no doubt, however, that Sharapova deserved to win and move forward to an intriguing match against the hugely popular Australian No 1 Ashleigh Barty in the fourth round.
Maria Sharapova put on a stunning display at the Australian Open to beat Caroline Wozniacki
She unleashed a huge roar after what was one of her finest performances in recent years
There was mutual respect between the players at the end following a three-set epic match
The manner in which Sharapova won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 suggests that she will be well-equipped to handle a partisan crowd.
This might be the fortnight when Sharapova finally roars again — and not just in terms of the ear-piercing yelp that accompanies her every stroke.
There will be no love lost between her and the Rod Laver Arena when she meets Queenslander Barty, and there was an expected froideur as she tackled the Dane in their first meeting since Sharapova's return
