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Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage from this fourth round clash between Maria Sharapova and Dominika Cibulkova

D. Cibulková vs M. Sharapova | Australian Open
Women's Singles | Round 4 | 20.01.2014 | Melbourne
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D. Cibulková (20)

M. Sharapova (3)
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The Editorial Team

Updated 20/01/2014 at 02:30 GMT


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GAME, SET AND MATCH - SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 1-6 CIBULKOVA - Third seed Maria Sharapova is out of the tournament, joining top seed Serena Williams, and instead it is Cibulkova who is through to the quarter-finals where she awaits the winner between Jelena Jankovic and Simona Halep. A backhand down the line drifts just wide from Sharapova to end the match while Cibulkova looks a little stunned to have actually won!
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SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 1-5 40-Ad CIBULKOVA - Phew! Sharapova escapes after a heavy net cord as her inside out forehand hits the top of the tape and lands right on the outside of the line. That was incredibly close! Another forehand goes astray, the shot that has let Sharapova down all day, and it's a second match point for Cibulkova ...
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SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 1-5 CIBULKOVA - Sharapova gets a little unlucky when there's a late "out" call on one of her forehands, only for the ball to be shown in by the resulting hawkeye challenge. The point has to be replayed and justice is done when Sharapova finds a cross court forehand winner but two doubles in the game don't help the Russian and a forehand long allows Cibulkova to level at deuce after Sharapova had looked comfortable at 40-15. A third double of the game hand Cibulkova match point.
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SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 1-5 CIBULKOVA - Sharapova just can't quite seem to pull off her shots which is credit to Cibulkova as the Russian is actually playing pretty well. The low slice from the Slovak is making things tricky for Sharapova who nets a couple of forehands (the ball just catching the top of the tape) before a forehand drifts just long from the Russian under extreme pressure to help Cibulkova hold. Sharapova will have to serve to stay in the match next...
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Image credit: Reuters

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BREAK - SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 1-4 CIBULKOVA - A brutal running forehand battered down the line and just inside it from Cibulkova sees her sneak ahead 0-30 on the Sharapova serve once again. The Russian pegs one point back with a forehand winner down the line of her own and then the second with a cross court forehand winner but the Slovak breaks at the second attempt when Sharapova can't quite get her low forehand volley up and over the net. Could Sharapova be on the way out here?
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SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 1-3 CIBULKOVA - Sharapova continues to be up and down as she finds a booming forehand for the first point of the game but then sends a forehand well long on the second. Cibulkova goes on to earn herself two game points despite a brilliantly angled backhand across court, battering the Sharapova backhand across court. The Slovak only needs the one chance though and holds with an ace down the centre of the court.
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SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 1-2 CIBULKOVA - Only one double fault in the opening set from Sharapova and now three in the first game and a point of the final set. Not a good progression from the Russian who then also throws in another double a couple of points later to allow Cibulkova another break point. The Russian saves it with a smash before pushing an off-forehand wide to gift her opponent yet another chance. But it goes begging and Sharapova goes on to hold with a much better first serve.
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SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 0-2 CIBULKOVA - Cibulkova stretches Sharapova from one side of the baseline to the other, testing out the Russian's injury. A backhand return wide across court hands Cibulkova two points to hold and although Sharapova pegs one back with an angry forehand return winner, the Slovak does hold at the second attempt to consolidate the break.
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BREAK - SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 0-1 CIBULKOVA - A conventional looking forehand volley from Sharapova has uncovential results as the ball catches the top of the tape and pops over the net for the perfect drop shot. The Russian also throws in just her second and third doubles, in a mixed game, to hand Cibulkova break point. A forehand long then gifts the Slovak the early break, Sharapova looking for guidance from her camp as to whether to challenge, and being told it was indeed long.
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Image credit: AFP

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Sharapova has departed off court to take a medical timeout for treatment to what sounds, from her description to the trainer, as a tight MTB. There will still be an initial assessment and then the three minute medical timeout. So by the time this match resumes it will be almost a 10 minute delay.
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Sharapova has called for the trainer at the change of ends. Not entirely sure exactly what the problem is at this stage but she has been working at her leg during the break for the last few changes of ends.
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SET - SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-6 CIBULKOVA - Two horrible returns in a row from Sharapova hand Cibulkova two set points. All that hard work to get back from 0-5 down in this set from the Russian could be undone by a moment of complete loss of concentration. The first set point goes begging for Cibulkova on a double fault but she does wrap up the set at the second attempt with a blistering inside out forehand that Sharapova can only return into the net. This match will go the distance!
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SHARAPOVA 6-3 4-5 CIBULKOVA - Sharapova can't quite hold to love as Cibulkova sends a booming forehand winner across court, albeit it on a second attempt after the Russian somehow managed to retrieve the first one. But the third seed does wrap up the hold at the second attempt. Cibulkova has just one last chance to serve out this second set.
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BREAK - SHARAPOVA 6-3 3-5 CIBULKOVA - Sharapova can't quite take advantage of her first break point in the game as she loops a cross court backhand just wide into the tramlines but she continues her storming comeback with a booming inside out forehand winner across court. This is getting really tight now from Cibulkova although she still has one break left.
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SHARAPOVA 6-3 2-5 CIBULKOVA - Oh hello, Sharapova is back! The Russian does net a forehand but she is looking much more rhythmical in her ground-strokes again now as she holds for the loss of just the one point when Cibulkova goes long with a forehand of her own.
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Image credit: AFP