Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport are long retired, but the two tennis greats are once again proving major players at the Australian Open.
As Serena Williams struggled to find her A-game in a 7-5 6-0 second-round win over Vera Zvonareva on Thursday, the coaching influence of Navratilova and Davenport was devastatingly evident elsewhere at Melbourne Park.
Navratilova hooked up with Agnieszka Radwanska last month and the union is already clearly paying off, with the Polish sixth seed destroying Johanna Larsson 6-0 6-1 in 44 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
The talented Madison Keys began working with Davenport last month and, after dropping the opening set against Casey Dellacqua, was nigh on unstoppable in rolling Australia's 29th seed 2-6 6-1 6-1 in an awesome display of power and precision at Margaret Court Arena.
Keys said it was Davenport's advice to "go back to basics" that helped her turn the match around.
The victory set up a big-hitting third-round clash with fourth-seeded Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, a 6-2 6-4 winner over German Mona Barthel, and the teenage ace is sure to call on Davenport's wisdom in a bid to topple the quality Czech.
"She's awesome. She's been really helpful and I'm just really happy to be working with her," Keys said of her new mentor, the 2000 Open champion.
While Radwanska and Keys impressed, Williams took a while to get going against Zvonareva, a one-time world No.2 and two-time grand slam runner-up on the comeback trail from injury and illness.
A day after Maria Sharapova was forced to save two match points, the top seed steadied after saving three set points in the opener to book a date on Saturday with seed Ukraine's 26th seed Elina Svitolina.
"She was aggressive and I was a little too passive," Williams said.
Dominika Cibulkova, last year's finalist who is seeded 11th, crushed Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2 6-0, while Venus Williams sailed into the third round with a 6-2 6-3 dispatch of fellow American Lauren Davis.
Seeded 18th, Williams recovered well after dropping her opening service game in both sets and next meets Italy's Camila Giorgi.
Spanish 24th seed Garbine Muguruza downed Daniela Hantuchova 6-1 1-6 6-0.
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