Maria Sharapova's comeback tour continues with win over defending Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki

Maria Sharapova took a potentially huge step in her attempted return to the top of the tennis ranks on Friday in Australia.

Sharapova toppled No. 3 seed and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki in the third round of the Australian Open 6-4 4-6 6-3. It’s one of her most significant victories since returning from a 15-month doping suspension in 2016.

Since then, she’s also dealt with multiple nagging injuries, the latest a shoulder ailment that cut her 2018 season a few months short.

“I haven’t played many matches in the last year, especially against top players and these are the types of matches that I train for so it was really rewarding to win that last point,” Sharapova said in a TV interview after the win.

Sharapova went into Friday’s match in attack mode, serving tough and going for big shots against Wozniacki’s serve. Sharapova racked up 37 winners in the match, which helped her come up with two key breaks in the third and deciding set.

The 31-year-old Russian was nearly unstoppable on serve down the stretch, losing just five points as the server in the entire final set. At times, she looked like the once-elite player who won five Grand Slam championships and was ranked No. 1 in the world.

She’ll advance to the round of 16 to face Australian Ashleigh Barty, who is sure to be a crowd favorite in Melbourne.

A win would put Sharapova a step closer to claiming her first Grand Slam title since a victory at the 2014 French Open. A combination of on-court struggles, injuries and the drug suspension have kept her a notch below the level of play she enjoyed early in her career.

Maybe this is the tournament where she announces to the tennis world: Maria is back.