Novak, Maria a class apart

Russian glamour girl Maria Sharapova lets out a loud shriek after annihilating America's Venus Williams 6-1, 6-3 in the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday.Photo: AFP

Novak Djokovic reached the Australian Open fourth round without dropping serve Friday and Maria Sharapova was also a class apart as she floored seven-time major-winner Venus Williams.
As the sports world digested cyclist Lance Armstrong's doping confession, Djokovic won an entertaining clash with Czech crowd-pleaser Radek Stepanek to move towards the tournament's first title hat-trick since the 1960s.
And Sharapova turned day five's showpiece into a disappointment for Williams with a remorseless 6-1, 6-3 win, which briefly threatened to be her third 'double bagel' 6-0, 6-0 victory of the tournament.
Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska also reached round four without dropping a set, and there were wins for China's Li Na and former world number one Ana Ivanovic.
As baking temperatures which tested players on Thursday subsided, Djokovic, the world number one, found time to play some exhibition-style points with Stepanek but still
kept enough focus to win 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.