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Svitolina stuns Kerber to reach China Open quarters

October 06, 2016 15:51 IST

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina acknowledges the crowd after beating World No 1 Germany's Angelique Kerber in the China Open on Thursday

IMAGE: Ukraine's Elina Svitolina acknowledges the crowd after beating World No 1 Germany's Angelique Kerber in the China Open on Thursday. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

Elina Svitolina stayed calm in the face of adversity to secure a surprise 6-3 7-5 win over German world number one Angelique Kerber as the Ukrainian advanced to the China Open quarter-finals in Beijing on Thursday.

The 16th-seed saved nine of 10 break points in the opening set, six of them coming in a topsy-turvy ninth game, before unleashing a forehand winner past the stranded Australian and US Open champion to seize the first set after 45 minutes.

Svitolina, who stunned former world number one Serena Williams at the Rio Olympics, rallied from an early loss of serve in the second set to break Kerber twice more on her way to a fourth win against a top-10 opponent in 2016.

The 22-year-old Ukrainian will next face Australian Daria Gavrilova, who beat Caroline Garcia 6-4 6-3, in the last eight.

Fighting for a spot in the WTA Finals in Singapore, Britain's Johanna Konta entered the quarter-finals of the China Open with a rain-hit 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 victory over Karolina Pliskova in Beijing.

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