Venus, Azarenka march into Miami quarters
Veteran American knocks out Konta as Pliskova, Stephens advance
Venus Williams upended defending champion Johanna Konta 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Miami Open quarter-finals while a dominant Victoria Azarenka also advanced with a straightforward win over Agnieszka Radwanska.
Three-time champion Venus stormed back from an early deficit to cruise past the British 11th seed, who needed several bouts of treatment on her lower back throughout a match that lasted two hours and 19 minutes.
Perhaps more impressive was that Venus, who turns 38 in June, was able to look so in control despite playing a day after spending nearly three hours on the court for her third-round clash against Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens.
“The first set was definitely all her, and she came up with some amazing shots to break me at 5-all,” Venus told reporters. “There was not much I could do there, except hope I could keep up in the second and third sets.”
Former world No. 1 Azarenka, in only her second event after an eight-month absence because of a custody dispute involving her son, also looked sharp throughout her 6-2, 6-2 win over 30th-seeded Pole Radwanska.
The Belarussian, competing as a wild card, won 79 per cent of her first service points and needed only 82 minutes to prevail in a clash between former Miami champions.
Up next for the 28-year-old is Czech fifth seed Karolina Pliskova, who advanced to the last eight after Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan was forced to retire injured while trailing 6-2, 2-1.
“[Pliskova] is an amazing player, a top 10 player,” Azarenka said. “For me, it’s a challenge to see how I can approach that and how I can progress from that match. It’s perfect. I wouldn’t ask for anything else.” Former world No. 1 Pliskova was efficient from the start and did not drop a point on her first serves in the entire match against Diyas, who took multiple medical timeouts and was visibly struggling with her movement.
Sloane Stephens raised her game to levels similar to last year when she won the US Open as she beat Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 6-4 and secure passage to the quarter-finals. Stephens, who equalled her best result in Miami having also reached the quarter-finals in 2015, will next face German 10th seed Angelique Kerber, a 6-7(1) 7-6, 6-3 winner over Chinese qualifier Wang Yafan.
Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina also advanced with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Australian Ashleigh Barty.
French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko capped the night session with a 7-6, 6-3 triumph over ninth-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova.