Maria Sharapova led three Russians into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, on Monday with a straight-sets defeat of Simona Halep.
Sharapova, the 2006 champion, beat the Romanian in 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and a half to set up a fourth-round clash with Italy's Roberta Vinci.
"I thought I played extremely well the first four or five games of [the second] set," Sharapova told the tournament's website. "Almost too good, in a way, where I felt like I was going for a lot and making a lot of shots."
Elsewhere, Nadia Petrova meets compatriot Maria Kirilenko in round four after battling past Sam Stosur 6-1, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5).
Kirilenko also needed three sets to oust Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
