Western & Southern Open: Vekic battles past Azarenka to reach last 16

Donna Vekic advanced to the third round of the Western & Southern Open by edging out two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Linder Tennis Family Center in Cincinnati on Wednesday night.

Vekic, ranked No 22, will face No 5 seed Ons Jabeur for a spot in the quarter-finals.

In the previous round of this event, the Croat won against American Jennifer Brady (7-6 (5), 7-5).

Azarenka, ranked No 18, beat No 11 seed Barbora Krejcikova (6-3, 7-5) in the 64 of the Cincy Open.

Cincinnati WTA 1000, other second-round results:

• Coco Gauff (7) beat Mayar Sherif: 6-2, 6-2
• Aryna Sabalenka (2) beat Ann Li (Q): 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
• Marie Bouzkova beat Elise Mertens: 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
• Elena Rybakina (4) beat Jelena Ostapenko: 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-4
• Jasmine Paolini (Q) beat Cristina Bucsa (Q): 6-1, 6-3
• Linda Noskova (Q) beat Petra Kvitova (9): 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
• Qinwen Zheng beat Venus Williams (WC): 1-6, 6-2, 6-1
• Karolina Muchova beat Petra Martic: 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
• Maria Sakkari (8) beat Sorana Cirstea: 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
• Iga Swiatek (1) beat Danielle Collins (WC): 6-1, 6-0
• Marketa Vondrousova (10) beat Anastasia Potapova: 6-4, 6-2
• Jessica Pegula (3) beat Martina Trevisan (Q): 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3
• Daria Kasatkina (14) beat Varvara Gracheva (LL): 6-3, 6-1
• Sloane Stephens beat Caroline Garcia (6): 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
• Ons Jabeur beat Anhelina Kalinina: 6-3, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (2)