TOKYO: Ana Ivanovic stalled Victoria Azarenka’s comeback from a foot injury with a 6-3, 6-4 win to make the Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.

In the match between the former major champions, Azarenka committed seven of her nine double faults in the first set and her serve was easily read by Ivanovic.

Ivanovic prevailed for her first win over Azarenka since 2010, after losing four straight. She lined up seventh-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, who hit 10 aces in beating wild card Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Top-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany beat Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4.

Kerber, the world number eight, grabbed two straight games after the pair were 4-4 in the first set and overcame a 1-3 deficit in the second set to defeat the 35th-ranked Svitolina in 86 minutes.

In the quarter-finals, Kerber will take on Slovakia’s sixth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova who outlasted American Coco Vandeweghe 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 in the round of 16.

BAGEL BLITZ AS RADWANSKA DOWNS SCHEEPERS

SEOUL: Top seed and defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska handed out a humiliating 6-0, 6-0 beating to Chanelle Scheepers on Wednesday to reach the WTA Korea Open quarter-finals.

The former Wimbledon finalist swept past the South African in just 49 minutes to set up a meeting with Varvara Lepchenko as she attempts to successfully defend a title for the first time.

Fifth-seeded Lepchenko of the United States ousted South Korean wild card Han Na-Lae 7-5, 6-1.

Second-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic outlasted Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, and Christina McHale of the US beat Mona Barthel of Germany 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

Published in Dawn, September 18th , 2014