Wozniacki Bounced From China Open, as Keys Withdraws With Leg Injury
Angelique Kerber of Germany cruised into the China Open quarterfinals on Wednesday, downing eighth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-3.
The 10th-seeded German converted on seven of her 13 break point chances, and despite letting a 5-0 second-set lead slip to 5-3, and closed out Wozniacki in just under 90 minutes.
Kerber has enjoyed a successful 2015 campaign to this point. She has won four titles, and with a run to the finals in Beijing this week, she will qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore.
She will have to get past former champion and fourth-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the semifinals. Radwanska took the first set 6-3 from 14th seeded American Madison Keys before Keys retired with a thigh injury.
“Of course, this is not the way that I wanted to end up that match. But as we all know the year is ending soon and we can see a couple of retirements,” said Radwanska. “Hopefully she will get better soon.”
Radwanska and Kerber have played each other very even in their careers, with their all-time head-to-head at 5-5.
Fifth-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza rolled into the Round of 16 with a 6-2, 6-1 win over unseeded American Irina Falconi on Wednesday.
“I’m very happy,” said Muguruza, who is now one win away from clinching her spot in the WTA Finals in Singapore. “I tried to keep the level I had in Wuhan and also in Tokyo. It was hard, because I didn’t play for two days, and here the conditions are not the same, so I’m happy.”
Muguruza will play Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni next. Lucic-Baroni advanced when 11th seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic withdrew.
Bencic’s compatriot, Timea Bacsinszky, made her way into the quarterfinals Wednesday. The 12th seed hung on to beat seventh-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
Bacsinszky will take on unseeded Sara Errani, who came back from a set down to take out 13th seed Andrea Petkovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
