Former world number one Victoria Azarenka has given the Adelaide International quarterfinals a more familiar feel, reaching the quarterfinals alongside unseeded duo Irina-Camelia Begu and Linda Nosková.
Key points:
- Azarenka beat Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 7-5
- The two-time Australian Open winner faces Linda Nosková in the quarterfinals
- Nosková defeated fellow qualifier Claire Liu 6-2, 6-2
Azarenka — a two-time Australian Open winner — accounted for rising Chinese star Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday.
While 33-year-old Azarenka played with a steady hand, Zheng delivered an erratic showing.
The 20-year-old sent down 10 aces to Azarenka’s one and 34 winners against 14, but she also made 35 unforced errors to the Belarusian’s 10, which proved decisive.
“I felt that I stuck to my game plan pretty well,” said Azarenka, who is ranked 26 in the world.
“I was consistent and I was taking my chances when I could.
“I was a lot more aggressive and a bit more comfortable today on the court.”
Azarenka will next face Nosková after the Czech teenager downed fellow qualifier American Claire Liu 6-2, 6-2.
Romanian Begu upset seventh-seeded Latvian Jeļena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-0 earlier in the day, steaming through 11 straight games to recover from a 1-3 deficit in the first set.
The results came a day after Ukrainian qualifier Marta Kostyuk shocked Kazakhstan’s Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to reach the final eight.
AAP
