TOKYO: French Open champion Garbine Muguruza exacted revenge for a shock early exit at the US Open by thrashing Anastasija Sevastova to reach the Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals on Thursday.
The Spanish world number three, beaten in the second round by Sevastova in New York earlier this month, spanked the Latvian 6-3, 6-3 to storm into the last eight in Tokyo.
"It was a surprise to play her as the last match was also against her but guess I got my revenge," said Muguruza after victory over a player who was so depressed about the state of her game back in 2013 that she retired.
"That's tennis. I'm happy to be the top seed here, it means I'm improving," the Spaniard added.
Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich upset US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova, the world number six, 6-4, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final with Japanese teenage sensation Naomi Osaka.
"I was ready to go to Wuhan (for my next tournament)," said Sasnovich. "But that's life: this is tennis and the ball is round," she added after bouncing the Czech, her first triumph over a top-10 opponent.
Elsewhere, Poland's Magda Linette battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva and will next face former world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.