Victoria Azarenka will face another former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in an intriguing Qatar Open quarter-final after seeing off WTA rising star Elina Svitolina in three sets in Doha on Wednesday.
Azarenka came good 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1 to maintain her quest for a third Qatar title after 2012 and 2013.
The unseeded Belarus, who held a match-point at 5-4 in the second set, came across Wozniacki last in the Australian Open when she beat the Dane in the second round.
"She beat me last time in Australia, so I have to play my best,"said Wozniacki, who is into the last eight after unseeded Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru retired trailing 6-1, 3-0 in their second round clash.
"But it's a new place, it's a new tournament, and hopefully I can do better this time," the Danish third seed added.
Top seed Petra Kvitova was in control of her second round clash with Jelena Jankovic at 6-1, 1-1 when the Serb had to retire with a hip problem.
Kvitova had lost her last two meetings with Jankovic and the Czech said: "Our match was on a high level until she had to stop. I hope she will get better and compete again soon."
She now faces Carla Suarez Navarro, who came through her meeting with Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
Germany's sixth-seed Andrea Petkovic avenged her loss in Dubai last week to Kazakh Zarina Diyas 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Kvitova's compatriot Lucie Safarova pulled off the surprise of the day, her 14 aces firing her past Russian fifth seed Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
Agnieszka Radwanska, the Polish fourth seed, spoiled Flavia Penetta's 33rd birthday celebrations, cruising past the Italian 6-1, 6-1 to set up a last eight meeting with Venus Williams.
Source: AFP
