Diyas is hoping to reach the fourth round for only the second time in her career, having done so at Wimbledon last year in what was a fabulous 2014 for the 21-year-old. Despite being a break up in the second set, she is still the underdog here, though there are chinks in the Sharapova armoury - a wild overhead, for instance, when the court was at her mercy.

Nevertheless, a double fault present Sharapova with a break point and the Russian seals the deal with a winner down the line. As you were.

Sharapova wipes her sweaty face with an Australian Open beach towel before returning to the service line to launch some more missiles towards Diyas. Opening blow to Diyas and then Sharapova coughs up a double fault. A lazy forehand from Sharapova presents her opponent with three break points. My, oh my.

The second seed doesn't usually surrender without a fight and she doesn't on this occasion, saving two break points. But Diyas takes advantage of a net cord, then drags her opponent toward the tape and Sharapova, at full stretch, nets a forehand volley. Break Diyas.

Plenty of empty seats on Rod Laver Arena and those ticket holders who have decided they have better things to do are missing out on a ruthless display from Sharapova. Two set points for the former champion. She squanders one, but takes the second with an impressive crosscourt winning return.

Oof! Diyas nicks two points on the Sharapova serve - a backhand winner which grazes the line the highlight. Will she? Can she? Surely not? From 0-30 to 30-30 we go as the second seed, keeping the points short this time, reels in her opponent. But Sharapova slaps a forehand into the tape and Diyas has a break point.

Boom! An ace from Sharapova forces the game to deuce. The duo then embark on a baseline slug-fest which Sharapova wins - Diyas scooping a backhand well wide. And a quiet "come on" from Sharapova indicates that the game is wrapped up in the Russian's favour.

Better from Diyas and, at 40-15, she has a first hold of the match in sight. "Out!" yells a line judge - a call so late that the players had continued to play a couple of shots. Replays show that Sharapova's forehand was a fraction wide which means DIYAS HOLDS!

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Sharapova, wearing a fetching coral dress with matching visor (hopefully it's ok to comment on tennis players' attire), is in the groove - a stonking forehand down the line followed by a crosscourt winner makes for a beautifully-crafted point which takes her to 30-0.

Diyas isn't playing particularly poorly but is just playing a superior opponent who has hit a purple patch. The 21-year-old nets and Sharapova then clinically holds to love with a driving backhand winner.

At 15-15, Diyas has hope but the underdog is soon overpowered from the baseline as Sharapova quickly accumulates two break points. The second seed bossing it from the middle of the court and ends Diyas' misery with an overhead.

Cute from Sharapova, sending Diyas one way with a booming serve and beating her opponent on the next shot by screwing a forehand into the corner. Big-hitting from the Russian who eases to 40-0 and an iffy forehand into the tramlines is the only blot as the second seed holds to 15.

Diyas to serve first but the 21-year-old is given a glimpse of the talent which faces her at the other side of the net as a winning return thunders beyond her. The Kazak in a hole already, needing to save two break points, and there is no spade big enough to get her out of this one. Sharapova nets one but after a mini baseline duel Diyas goes long and Sharapova has the earliest of early breaks.

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For those of you unfamiliar with Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas, the 21-year-old is studying psychology by correspondence, but academia hasn't stopped her vastly improving her ranking over the last 12 months, progressing from 163 to 31 in the world.

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Maria Sharapova has never faced Zarina Diyas before today and the Russian had a few problems with an unknown in the previous round in Melbourne.

After her 6-1 4-6 7-5 win over world number 150 Alexandra Panova, the second seed admitted it's "tricky" facing opponents she has never played.

"It's always tricky. No doubt about that. It's unusual after being on the tour for many years. Yet there are always girls coming up that are rising, doing well," said the 2008 Aussie Open champion.

Hello! Welcome to live text commentary of the Australian Open tennis. Our first match will be Maria Sharapova's ding-dong with Kazak Zarina Diyas, followed by Rafael Nadal's tussle with Dudi Sela. Dudi who? We'll come to that later because Maria Sharapova has just strolled onto Rod Laver Arena so let's get started.

Who'd have thought it? Roger Federer has been beaten. Routed, licked, mastered. Which means one second seed is gone, outta here - but will another follow today at the Australian Open?

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Just like Federer, Sharapova struggled in the previous round, saving two match points against Alexandra Panova, so victory against the lesser known Zarina Diyas is not a forgone conclusion for the women's second seed. Exciting, isn't it?