Maria Sharapova in round four of US Open

New York: Maria Sharapova defeated Mallory Burdette 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the fourth round of the 2012 US Open.

The third seeded Russian, who completed the career Grand Slam earlier this year at the French Open, took 58 minutes at 90-degree Arthur Ashe Stadium to wrap up the win over Burdette, who will be a senior at Stanford this year. Sharapova has not been tested so far this year at Flushing Meadows, losing a total of seven games over her first three matches. Since winning the US Open in 2006, this is only the second time Sharapova has advanced to the round of 16. Agencies