Doha, Qatar (SportsNetwork.com) - Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and former world No. 1 stars Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka were among the second-round winners Wednesday at the Qatar Open tennis event.
The top-seeded left-handed Kvitova was handling former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, 6-3, 1-1, when the Serb retired on Day 3, while the third-seeded U.S. Open runner-up Wozniacki was pasting Alexandra Dulgheru, 6-1, 3-0, when the Romanian qualifier retired on the hardcourts at Khalifa International Tennis Complex.
Meanwhile, the wild card and two-time Doha champion Azarenka outlasted Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1 to set-up a showdown here with her fellow former No. 1 Wozniacki, the 2011 Doha runner-up.
Also on Day 3, fourth-seeded former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska whipped Italian Flavia Pennetta 6-1, 6-1; Czech Lucie Safarova surprised fifth-seeded Russian fellow left-hander Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3; sixth-seeded Andrea Petkovic overcame Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas 5-7, 6-2, 6-4; and ninth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro clipped Czech Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7-2), 6-4. Diyas beat Petkovic in Dubai last week. Pliskova was last week's Dubai runner-up to Simona Halep.
Thursday's other quarterfinals will pit Kvitova against Suarez Navarro, Radwanska against seventh-seeded former top-ranked star Venus Williams and Petkovic versus Safarova.
Radwanska lost to Williams in the fourth round last month at the Australian Open.
"I think it's going to be very good match for revenge," Radwanska said. "She definitely had a great season last year and a very good beginning of the year. I think playing Venus is always a really good challenge."
The 2015 Doha titlist will claim $124,000.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.