Barty downs Sharapova in battle of former world No 1's

Cincinnati - Top seed Ashleigh Barty powered into the third round of Cincinnati WTA tournament on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Maria Sharapova.

Australia's Barty, 23, won the battle of former number one players in just over 90 minutes.

The reigning Roland Garros champion beat five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova, who was Cincinnati champion in 2011, for the second time this season after a win at the Australian Open.

It was Barty's 40th victory of 2019 and she goes on to face either Poland's Iga Swiatek or Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.

Results on Wednesday in the WTA/ATP Cincinnati Masters (x-denotes seeding):

Men

Second round

Lucas Pouille (FRA) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 6-4, 6-4

Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6-4, 6-4

Daniil Medvedev (RUS x9) bt Benoît Paire (FRA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-1

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x5) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6)

Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x7) 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-4

Diego Schwartzman (ARG) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-4, 6-2

Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 7-5, 7-6 (7/1)

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN x6) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4

Alex De Minaur (AUS) bt Reilly Opelka (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4

David Goffin (BEL x16) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-1, 7-5

Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-1, 6-3

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x11) bt Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

Karen Khachanov (RUS x6) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2

Women

Second round

Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS) 6-4, 6-1

Anett Kontaveit (EST) bt Iga Swiatek (POL) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)

Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x9) bt Saisai Zheng (CHN) 6-4, 6-3

Karolína Plíšková (CZE x3) bt Yafan Wang (CHN) 6-1, 6-3

Rebecca Peterson (SWE) bt Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2

Donna Vekic (CRO) bt Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 6-2, 7-5

Madison Keys (USA x16) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 6-4, 6-1

Simona Halep (ROU x4) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4

Elina Svitolina (UKR x7) bt Elise Mertens (BEL) 6-4, 6-1

Sofia Kenin (USA) bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 6-4, 6-1

Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) bt Jennifer Brady (USA) 7-6 (11/9), 6-3

Naomi Osaka (JPN x2) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-2

Sloane Stephens (USA x8) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3