WTA roundup: Svitolina into Hong Kong quarters

[October 12, 2018]  Top-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine steamrolled her way into the quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Open with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Japan's Nao Hibino on Thursday at China.

Svitolina, one of five players chasing the last three spots at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore, has yet to drop a set at the event. She will next face Chinese No. 6 seed Qiang Wang, a 7-5, 6-1 winner over American Christina Mchale.

"We're in the race for Singapore, and I want really bad to be there," Svitolina said. "I have to step up and bring my best game. I'm trying everything."

Seventh-seeded Australian Daria Gavrilova was pushed to the brink in her 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (3) victory over Romania's Monica Niculescu. Gavrilova will next face China's Shuai Zhang, who also needed three sets in winning her match with Dutchwoman Lesley Kerkhove, 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-1.

Upper Austria Ladies Linz

Second-seeded Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens was denied a spot in the quarterfinals at Linz, Austria, losing 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (3) to Russia's Margarita Gasparyan.

Gasparyan shot ahead 5-1 in the decisive tiebreaker before converting on her second match point. She will next face fifth-seeded Italian Camila Giorgi.

Third-seeded Barbora Strycova downed fellow Czech Kristyna Pliskova 6-0, 6-1 to advance and will next face Belgium's Alison Van Uytvanck. Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova bested Sweden's Johanna Larsson 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 and next draws sixth-seeded compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Germany's Andrea Petkovic, a 6-1, 6-3 winner over compatriot Tatjana Maria, will oppose France's Kristina Mladenovic, who defeated Hungary's Timea Babos 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

Tianjin Open

Second-seeded Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia booked her spot in the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over China's Yuxuan Zhang at Tianjin, China.

Garcia will next face sixth-seeded Croatian Petra Martic. Third-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens also advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Slovakia's Jana Cepelova and will oppose Taiwanese No. 5 seed Su-Wei Hsieh.

Great Britain's Katie Boulter draws top-seeded Karolina Pliskova after beating another Czech, Barbora Krejcikova, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky, a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 winner over Japan's Misaki Doi, will face No. 4 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

--Field Level Media

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