Stosur wins as Rodionova loses to Jankovic

Australian Samantha Stosur has won through to the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open but compatriot Anastasia Rodionova has been knocked out by former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic.

Fifth-seeded Stosur on Wednesday accounted for Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 6-4 6-4.

The Australian has set up a last-eight showdown with Britain’s Heather Watson, who survived a battle with qualifier Lee Ya-hsuan, winning 6-0 6-7 (5-7) 6-4.

Jankovic breezed through to the quarter-finals in a straight sets victory that took just under an hour.

Ranked fourth in the competition, she beat Australia’s Rodionova 6-0 6-2 and will meet sixth seed Daria Gavrilova of Russia in the last eight.

“It was a good match for me,” Jankovic told reporters.

“I’m feeling better today than I did yesterday. I think the first match is always very tough, to feel the conditions, the court. Today I felt a little bit lighter on my feet.”

Jankovic, 30, has never played 21-year-old Gavrilova.

“She’s a young and up and coming player and she’s had a great season. It will be our first encounter and I look forward to playing it,” she said.

In other second-round action on Wednesday, Russian sixth seed Daria Gavrilova beat Lara Arruabarrena of Spain 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will play her second-round match on Thursday, when she takes on Wang Ya-fan of China.

Williams, 35, is fighting for a place in the eight-player WTA Finals in Singapore later this month with Hong Kong her last chance to get the points she needs.

She is currently 11th in the Road to Singapore rankings.

World number nine Angelique Kerber takes on Kurumi Nara in her second-round match, also on Thursday.

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