Tokyo: Kasatkina sets up Kenin clash in quarter-finals

Russian Daria Kasatkina, the No 3 seed, moved into the quarter-finals of the WTA Toray Pan Pacific Open by defeating American McCartney Kessler 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 at the Ariake Coliseum on Thursday.

The Russian won the Ningbo Open last week and is now on a five-match winning streak.

Kasatkina, ranked No 9, will face American wildcard Sofia Kenin next. She is confirmed as an alternate for the WTA Finals. if the Russian makes the Tokyo final this week, she will become the first alternate, else she would be the second alternate.

In the previous round of the tournament, Kessler, ranked No 73, won against Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (6-3, 6-3).

Tokyo WTA 500, other second-round matches (Ariake Coliseum, hard, USD 922.573, most recent results first):

• Sofia Kenin beat Clara Tauson (LL): 6-7 (8), 6-4, 7-6 (6)
• Bianca Andreescu (WC) beat Beatriz Haddad Maia (2): 3-0 ret.
• Sayaka Ishii (Q) beat Zeynep Sonmez (Q): 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
• Diana Shnaider (6) beat Viktoriya Tomova: 6-2, 6-2
• Leylah Fernandez (8) beat Varvara Gracheva: 6-0, 3-6, 7-5
• Qinwen Zheng vs. Moyuka Uchijima
• Katie Boulter vs. Kyoka Okamura