Naomi Osaka gets walkover as Zheng falls to Fernandez at Qatar Open

DOHA: Naomi Osaka received a walkover into the Doha quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Leylah Fernandez knocked out Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen 7-5, 6-3.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka advanced after Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, who beat Ons Jabeur in round two, pulled out with an elbow injury.

Osaka will meet another former world number one, Karolina Pliskova who beat Czech teenager Linda Noskova 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Chinese fifth seed Zheng let slip a strong position in the opening set where she led 5-3, as Fernandez broke twice in a row and reeled off the final four games.

Fernandez then punished a loose service game from Zheng in the sixth game of the second set before closing out an impressive victory.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also progressed to the last eight with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.

Katerina Siniakova, who took out Coco Gauff in the second round, could not build on Tuesday’s success as the Czech lost in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 to Danielle Collins.

Top seed Iga Swiatek plays Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16 later on Wednesday. Agencies

Also Read: Brisbane International: Naomi Osaka’s comeback crushed by Karolina Pliskova

Also Watch: