Tokyo: French Open champion Garbine Muguruza exacted revenge for a shock early exit at the US Open by thrashing Anastasija Sevastova to reach the Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals on Thursday.
The Spanish world No. 3, beaten in the second round by Sevastova in New York earlier this month, spanked the Latvian 6-3, 6-3 to storm into the last eight in Tokyo.
“It was a surprise to play her as the last match was also against her but guess I got my revenge,” said Muguruza after victory over a player who was so depressed about the state of her game back in 2013 that she retired.
“That’s tennis. I’m happy to be the top seed here, it means I’m improving,” the Spaniard added.
However, Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus produced the biggest upset of the tournament ousting third-seeded Karolina Pliskova in straight sets to advance to the quarter finals.
Sasnovich beat the US. Open finalist 6-4, 6-2 for her first win over a top-10 player. She will face local favourite Naomi Osaka in the last eight.
“I was expecting now to be going to Wuhan for the next tournament because I know Karolina is a really good player and I didn’t expect to win today,” Sasnovich said. “But, you know, it’s life and it’s tennis. The ball is round.”
Also, Magda Linette saved two match points to defeat Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Elsewhere, Poland’s Magda Linette battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva and will next face former world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
Defending champion Jelena Jankovic of Serbia beat Germany’s Sabine Lisicki in the quarter-finals of the WTA Guangzhou International Women’s Open Thursday, getting her a step closer to the $226,750 top prize.
Second seed and former world number one Jankovic beat 2013 Wimbledon finalist Lisicki 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to advance to Friday’s semi-finals, where she will face third seeded Croatian Ana Konjuh.
The tournament’s two US players took a beating, with Konjuh knocking out American Jennifer Brady 6-4, 7-5 and Ukranian Lesia Tsurenko securing a win over fifth seed Alison Riske 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 in a match that lasted nearly two hours.
Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland, fresh off a surprise win 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-4 against top seed Sara Errani that had shot her into the quarter-finals the night before, couldn’t recreate the magic, losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, listed as 129th in the WTA singles rankings.
