Sharapova (Rus) [3] beat Cornet (Fra) [25] 6-1 7-6
Sharapova, who took nearly three-and-a-half hours to beat Karin Knapp in 40C heat on Thursday, seemed set for a stroll in the considerably cooler (22C) Melbourne Park after dismantling Cornet in the first set.
Maria Sharapova
But the pitch of her shrieks intensified as she struggled to find her rhythm and her serve in the second.
Cornet, the 25th seed, broke to lead 3-1 but the Russian broke straight back and had match point at 5-3 before Cornet broke for 5-5 and then 6-6 to set up a tiebreak.
Sharapova had several aborted ball tosses and served six double faults in the second set, notably when Cornet levelled at 5-5, with only 52% of first serves going in. The 26-year-old's groundstrokes kept her in the match, and 29 minutes after her first match point she manufactured a second to clinch the tiebreak.
The four-time Grand Slam champion won in one hour and 51 minutes to set up a clash with 20th seeded Slovak Dominika Cibulkova.
"She started playing better when I gave her some chances," said Sharapova. "After my last match I'm just glad to be through and have another day to recover.
"I definitely need to step it up - every player will need to raise their game."
Federer (Swi) [6] beat Gabashvili (Rus) 6-2 6-2 6-3
Switzerland's 17-time Grand Slam champion advanced to the fourth round for the 13th consecutive year with a comprehensive win over Gabashvili.
If omen's are your thing, the only other time the pair met - at Wimbledon in 2007 - Federer also won in straight sets and went on to clinch the tournament. Also, the last time wife Mirka was pregnant - she is expecting the couple's third child - Federer won the French Open and Wimbledon that year (2009).
"I'm happy that from my side I'm winning my matches in straight sets.," said Federer. "It's been different conditions every match: the heat first and the indoor match and now normal conditions today with a bit of wind.
"So it's just good to get through and get a good feel out there and make sure if you've got a chance to win your matches easier to do so."
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