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Top-ranked Ash Barty has advanced to the last eight in her title defence of the Miami Open, defeating former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka in three sets.
Ash Barty is tough to beat under any circumstances, especially when the going gets tough, and she proved that again in her title defence of the Miami Open.
The world's top-ranked player has advanced to the quarter-finals, getting there by holding off 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1 1-6 6-2.
It was Barty's 17th win in her past 20 three-set matches, two of those victories for the Australian coming so far in this tournament.
"That's a cool stat," Barty said.
The match lived up to its showdown potential, with the reigning Miami champion and world No.1 in Barty facing someone who has won the Miami title three times and is a former world No. 1 in Azarenka.
Barty rolled through the first set, Azarenka did likewise in the second.
But the third - as they tend to be - was all Barty, who was never in trouble in the deciding set even after nearly two hours on the court in midday South Florida heat and humidity.
"It's just about staying in the fight," Barty said.
"It's about not relenting, not giving up regardless of whether you lose a set or you get a break, whatever it might be.
"I think it's just about trying to hang around and I've worked my backside off off the court to make sure that I feel like I'm good physical condition to play tennis."
Barty will next face seventh-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, the Belarusian a 6-1 6-2 winner over Marketa Vondrousova.
World No.2 Naomi Osaka extended her winning streak to 23 matches by topping 16th-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-3 6-3.
Reigning US Open and Australian Open champion Osaka, who hadn't played since Friday after getting a walkover in what was to be her third-round match, said the downtime was a bit of a challenge.
"I honestly haven't gotten a lot of walkovers in my life so I was a bit shocked on what I should do," Osaka said.
Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine accounted for ninth-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 2-6 7-5 7-5 to earn her spot in the last eight.
"It was not easy conditions," said Svitolina, who has already matched her best Miami finish by making the quarters.
"I was trying to fight, trying to find a way, one extra ball over the net."
Svitolina will play unseeded Anastasija Sevastova after the Latvian defeated Croatian wildcard Ana Konjuh 6-1 7-5.
