Maria wins despite slow start

Maria Sharapova looked decidedly rusty at a soggy Edgbaston before finally reaching the quarter-finals of the rain-hit DFS Classic.

The 2004 Wimbledon champion was given a torrid time by 16-year-old Austrian Tamira Paszek in her delayed third-round match before winning through 6-3 4-6 6-2 to set up a last-eight clash with Elena Likhovtseva later today.

After playing only one match before today following torrential rain throughout the week, the 20-year-old Russian was desperate for grass court match practice in the run-up to Wimbledon.

She got the game time she craved by taking four minutes over two hours to see off her determined young opponent and will still have to fit in three more matches if she is to reclaim the Birmingham title she won in 2004 and 2005.

It was a mixed performance on a surface of inconsistent bounce, with Sharapova producing no fewer than 12 double faults to go with her 11 aces.

She took the first set, which was interrupted by a 56-minute rain delay, but let slip a 4-3 lead in the second set to lose it 6-4.

The top seed then raced into a 3-0 lead in the decider with the aid of two breaks and held off another rally from the Austrian to stave off the threat of an upset and finally complete the third round.