|
World number one Osaka never found her rhythm
against Belinda Bencic as the Swiss used her precise
groundstrokes and pinpoint serving to topple the defending
champion 6-3 6-1 in just over an hour.
The 22-year-old Bencic, who has risen as high as world number
seven before missing time with injuries, hit a forehand volley
on match point to seal the win and send her into the
quarter-finals.
"I was really happy with the performance," Bencic told Tennis
Channel. "It wasn't as easy as the result is saying and I didn't
expect it like that, so definitely happy."
Bencic, the world number 23, has made a habit of upending top 10
players of late, defeating four en route to winning the Dubai
Duty Free Tennis Championships last month.
She will have another shot at a top-10 player when she takes on
hard-hitting world number five Karolina Pliskova, who smashed 13
aces to dispatch Anett Kontaveit 7-6(0) 4-6 6-2 to reach the
quarter-finals.
Osaka's loss ended a bad day for world number ones after the
men's top player, Serb Novak Djokovic, fell 6-4 6-4 to Philipp
Kohlschreiber.
Earlier in the day, Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova ran Halep
ragged before dumping the Romanian out of the tournament 6-2 3-6
6-2.
Halep, who received medical treatment for blisters on her foot
during the match, won less than half of her first-service points
and hit just six winners to go with 36 unforced errors.
"I was running too much and too defensive," the Romanian told
reporters. "But it's everything I could do today."
Halep's loss ensured Osaka will retain her number one ranking
after the tournament.
The win was 19-year-old Vondrousova's first over a top-10 player
in six attempts.
"I think I'm playing well all week but this is something special
because she's number two in the world," Vondrousova said. "I was
just fighting for every point."
Another teenager, unseeded Canadian Bianca Andreescu, upset 18th
seed Wang Qiang of China 7-5 6-2 to book her place in the
quarters. The win was the 18-year-old Andreescu's 25th of the
year, the most of any WTA player.
She will next face Garbine Muguruza after the Spaniard battled
back to dispatch Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 5-7 6-1 6-4.
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina came from a break down in the third
set to defeat Australian Ashleigh Barty 7-6(8) 5-7 6-4 to reach
the quarter-finals for the first time.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Toby Davis/Peter
Rutherford/Sudipto Ganguly)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
