World No 2 Maria Sharapova made light work of her second-round match at the China Open in Beijing on Wednesday, progressing to the last 16 with ease.

The Russian No 2 seed defeated Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, ranked 29th in the WTA standings, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. “I thought I served really well today, much better than the first round,” the winner of four Grand Slam singles titles said.