Tears as Zvonareva, Bartoli Exit, Sharapova, Serena Advance

Russia's Vera Zvonareva left the Australian Open in tears Saturday after a shock loss to 56th-ranked Ekaterina Makerova -- as China's Zheng Jie also sent French number one Marion Bartoli crashing.

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Russia's Maria Sharapova, the 2008 Australian champion, sailed through, and there were also wins for Serbia's Ana Ivanovic and Italian Sara Errani.

But Makarova and Zheng Jie shook up the draw as they ousted Zvonareva and Bartoli, the seventh and ninth seeds, in quick succession.

Makarova is ranked just 56th but she won 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 to extend a miserable start to the year for former world number two Zvonareva, who lost in the first round in Sydney and struggled through her opening matches here.

Li got off to a lightning start against the powerful Bartoli and there was no let-up in her raking ground strokes as she won 6-3, 6-3 to join fellow Chinese Li Na, last year's runner-up, in the fourth round.

Wimbledon title-holder Kvitova also showed tremendous touch before Kirilenko retired injured in the second set.

The Czech second seed was leading 6-0, 1-0 when Kirilenko, who hurt her thigh towards the end of the first set and needed medical treatment, decided not to continue.

After breaking Kirilenko's serve in a 10-minute opening game, the Czech world number two raced through the remainder of the set with a succession of booming serves and punishing ground strokes.

"The way I played in the first five games was great," she said. "I mean from the last match that I played it was really a big difference and I'm really happy how I played today. Hopefully it will continue like this."

Kvitova will play Ivanovic in the fourth round after the Serb's 6-4, 6-4 win over American Vania King, while Italy's Sara Errani downed Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-7 (6-8), 6-0, 6-2.

Sharapova beat Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-2 but the scoreline flattered the fourth seed, who was pushed hard in the second set.

Sharapova, who won in Melbourne in 2008, broke Kerber three times in each set but had to battle in the second as the German 30th seed lifted her game.

"I played a really good first set but she certainly stepped up in the second," Sharapova said.

"The second set was a lot tougher than the scoreline suggests."

Sharapova did not help her cause with 22 unforced errors, 15 of those coming in the second set.

But she always looked in control against Kerber, who defended well but was rarely able to come up with a big shot to hurt the Russian.

Five-time champion Serena Williams raced into the fourth round of the Australian Open, demolishing Hungary's Greta Arn for the loss of just two games on Saturday.

Williams totally dominated the world number 92 to win 6-1, 6-1 and move into a fourth round clash against unseeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

The 32-year-old Arn started well and had a break point in the opening game, but that was as close as the Hungarian got as Williams stepped up to overpower her opponent and run away with the match in just 59 minutes.