Third-seeded Dominika Cibulkova battled past an aggressive Stefanie Voegele on Thursday to set up a quarter-final clash with Urszula Radwanska at the WTA Bank of the West Classic.
Slovakia’s Cibulkova let 5-2 leads slip in each set, but emerged with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) victory
“I expected a really tough match, because she’s playing really well right now,” Cibulkova said of Voegele, who fired 10 aces in the match.
Photo: EPA
“I played her a long time ago. I remember she plays close to the lines. I knew it would be a tough match,” Cibulkova said.
“It could have been an easier match for me though — I was 5-2 up first set and 5-2 up second set — but in the end I always made it, and even though it could have been easier, I’m still happy with the win,” she said.
Seventh-seeded Radwanska of Poland edged Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3). Hantuchova led 4-1 in the first set and was twice up a break in the second, but failed to hold on.
Photo: AFP
The Pole trailed 0-3 in the second-set tiebreaker, but won the last seven points to seal the win.
Fourth-seeded American Jamie Hampton reached the last eight with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 victory over US wild card Nicole Gibbs.
Hampton next faces Russia’s Vera Dushevina, who beat American Madison Keys 7-6 (7/0), 6-2.
The two remaining quarters will see top-seed Agnieszka Radwanska, Urszula’s sister, face American Varvara Lepchenko, and Olga Govortsova of Belarus take on Sorana Cirstea of Romania.
BAKU CUP
AP, BAKU
Israel’s Shahar Peer defeated third-seeded South African Chanelle Scheepers 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Thursday to advance to the quarter-finals of the Baku Cup.
Peer was due to face Slovenia’s Tadeja Majeric in the last eight yesterday.
Majeric prevailed 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 over Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic, securing victory with three second-set breaks.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina beat Nastassja Burnett of Italy 6-0, 7-6 (3) to line up a quarter-final against second-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia.
In other games on Thursday, Magda Linette of Poland rallied to beat Czech player Kristyna Pliskova 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 and Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan defeated Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
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