Top-Seeded Wozniacki Ousted by American Lepchenko in Stanford

American Varvara Lepchenko played lights out tennis on Thursday, defeating top-seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2 to reach the Bank of the West Classic quarterfinals in Stanford, Calif. Lepchenko fired 26 winners, committed just 17 unforced errors and broke four times to beat Wozniacki rather routinely.

“I think I just followed my plan. I was doing what I was supposed to do,” said Lepchenko. “The plan was to be aggressive, and when I had to be on defense, be on defense. But when I had my chances I was aggressive and I did that until the last point and it worked out for me tonight.”

Lepchenko will face Germany’s Mona Barthel next.

With the tournament’s top-seed being eliminated, the second-seed Agnieszka Radwanska found herself in a huge hole in her second-round match on Thursday. Japan’s Misaki Doi won the opening set 6-1 and took a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Radwanska stormed back, winning the final 12 games for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory.

“It was just a weird match with such a slow start and then winning 12 games in a row,” said Radwanska. “The ball was flying a lot and I really didn’t practice much the last few days. For me, it was a new start, new courts, new balls and a new tournament.”

The other winners in Stanford on Thursday were fourth-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova and fifth-seeded German Angelique Kerber.

Pliskova moved past Japanese qualifier Kimiko Date-Krumm, the oldest player on the tour at age 44, 7-5, 6-2.

“She plays so cleverly,” said Pliskova. “I get the feeling she could play the next five years. I was expecting a touch match and the first set was really tough.”

Croatia’s Ajla Tomljanovic will be Pliskova’s next opponent.

Kerber ousted Ana Konjuh 6-4, 6-3 in her match Thursday.

“It was a tough match. Ana was playing well. She has a great serve, she’s a great young player, and she has nothing to lose,” said Kerber. “She was just going for it and it wasn’t easy for me, but in the end I was just playing my game, staying consistent, and it’s nice to be in the next round row.”