The Latest: Angelique Kerber wins 11th match in a row

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – The Latest on Thursday at the Australian Open (all times local):

4:30 p.m.

Former champion Angelique Kerber celebrated her 30th birthday with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Donna Vekic to advance to the third round of the Australian Open and a match against Maria Sharapova.

Germany’s Angelique Kerber stretches out for a return shot to Croatia’s Donna Vekic during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

It was Kerber’s 11th win in a row to start the season.

Kerber, the 2016 champion at Melbourne Park, won four singles matches at the Hopman Cup and five more while winning last week’s Sydney International. She beat fellow German Anna-Lena Friedsam in the first round here.

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3:10 p.m.

Dominic Thiem has survived his first career five-set match at the Australian Open, rallying from two sets down to defeat 190th-ranked American qualifier Denis Kudla 6-7 (6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the second round.

The fifth-seeded Austrian player improved his five-set record at Grand Slams to 3-3 with the win. He lost both five-setters he played last year at the majors to Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon and to Juan Martin del Potro at the U.S. Open.

Thiem counted 21 aces among his 57 winners in the match. He was broken three times in the opening set and once in the second set, then didn’t face another break point for the rest of the match.

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2:55 p.m.

Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza is out of the Australian Open after being beaten 7-6 (1), 6-4 by Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan in the second round.

Muguruza never looked comfortable in the match, double-faulting on break point in the second set and had 43 unforced errors.

She saved one match point in the ninth game on her serve before Hsieh served out the match in the next, clinching it with a winning backhand to the corner.

The Spaniard had a troubled preparation for the tournament, retiring with cramps in the second round at the Brisbane International and withdrew before her quarterfinal at Sydney because of a right thigh injury.

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1:55 p.m.

American Sam Querrey is out of the Australian Open after losing his second-round match 6-4, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-2 to 80th-ranked Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.

The 13th-seeded Querrey was one of 10 American players – men and women – to reach the second round from the 32 who started the main draws, the lowest number of Americans through to the second round in Melbourne since seven in 2011.

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12:15 p.m.

Former Australian Open semifinalist Johanna Konta has been knocked out of the tournament in the second round by American lucky loser Bernarda Pera 6-4, 7-5.

Pera, ranked No. 123, lost in the final round of qualifying and didn’t get into the main draw until Monday, when Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan withdrew with an injury. The 23-year-old Pera is making her Grand Slam debut.

Konta saved three match points in the ninth game of the second set, then broke Pera to level the set at 5-all. The American finally closed out the match on her fifth match point.

Pera was born in Croatia and moved to the U.S. when she was 16, deciding to represent the U.S. She is one of only four American women to reach the second round – the fewest number since 2011.

Konta ended last season on a four-match losing streak, including a first-round loss at the U.S. Open, while dealing with a foot injury. She then retired from a match at the season-opening Brisbane International with a hip injury.

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12:35 p.m.

Maria Sharapova has advanced to the third round, beating Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 7-6 (4) as the temperatures began to rise at Melbourne Park.

With a forecast high of 39 Celsius (102 Fahrenheit), Sharapova appeared to be in a hurry to get off the Rod Laver Arena court, winning the first set in 23 minutes.

In the second set, Sharapova was broken while serving for the match, sending it to the tiebreaker which she dominated.

Sharapova is playing here for the first time since serving a 15-month doping ban for testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. She lost to Sevastova at the U.S. Open last September in her return to Grand Slam tennis.

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11:05 a.m.

Maria Sharapova was set to take on Anastasija Sevastova at the start of play Thursday on an expected day of scorching temperatures at the Australian Open.

The forecast was for temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), and delays were likely on side courts if the tournament invokes its Extreme Heat Policy. Officials also have the option of closing the roofs on the three show courts, including Rod Laver Arena.

Sharapova is playing here for the first time since serving a 15-month doping ban after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.

Wimbledon winner Garbine Muguruza, defending champion Roger Federer and six-time Australian winner Novak Djokovic were also scheduled to play their second-round matches Thursday.

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More AP coverage: www.apnews.com/tag/AustralianOpen

Austria's Dominic Thiem stretches out for a return shot to United States' Denis Kudla during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Austria’s Dominic Thiem stretches out for a return shot to United States’ Denis Kudla during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

United States' Denis Kudla uses a cool towel during a break while playing Austria's Dominic Thiem during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

United States’ Denis Kudla uses a cool towel during a break while playing Austria’s Dominic Thiem during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Spain's Garbine Muguruza makes a forehand return to Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza makes a forehand return to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei makes a backhand return to Spain's Garbine Muguruza during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei makes a backhand return to Spain’s Garbine Muguruza during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

United States' Sam Querrey reacts to a lost point against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

United States’ Sam Querrey reacts to a lost point against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Hungary's Marton Fucsovics wipes the sweat from his face while playing United States' Sam Querrey during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics wipes the sweat from his face while playing United States’ Sam Querrey during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

United States' Bernarda Pera makes a backhand return to Britain's Johanna Konta during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

United States’ Bernarda Pera makes a backhand return to Britain’s Johanna Konta during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

United States' Bernarda Pera looks to make a return to Britain's Johanna Konta during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

United States’ Bernarda Pera looks to make a return to Britain’s Johanna Konta during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Russia's Maria Sharapova uses a cool towel during a break while playing Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Russia’s Maria Sharapova uses a cool towel during a break while playing Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova makes a forehand return to Russia's Maria Sharapova during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova makes a forehand return to Russia’s Maria Sharapova during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

U.S. actor Will Ferrell holds up a toy wombat during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (Fiona Hamilton/Tennis Australia via AP)

U.S. actor Will Ferrell holds up a toy wombat during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (Fiona Hamilton/Tennis Australia via AP)

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