Kvitova, Wozniacki, Azarenka reach Doha QFs
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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.
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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.
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"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.