Serena Williams booked her spot in the quarterfinals of the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne by beating Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets.
It took the 23-time Grand Slam winner an hour and 15 minutes to defeat Pironkova 6: 1: 6: 4 and go to the last eight.
The 39-year-old Williams faces the 13-year-old American Danielle Collins after her 7: 6 (5) 7: 6 (3) defeat against the third Saat Karolina Pliskova.
“It’s definitely nice to get another win,” said Williams, who will begin its eighth Australian Open title bid next week.
“She’s clearly a great player so it wasn’t easy, but it was good to get through.
“The last time we played it was an amazing match in three sets. So today I felt that we should really focus and learn to do better than last time. “
World number 1 Ashleigh Barty struggled against the second set and took her place in the quarter-finals.
The 24-year-old, who took part in her first WTA event in almost a year and decided to stay at home in Australia when the tour resumed last summer, beat Marie Bouzkova 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 to start one last -eight date against Shelby Rogers after the American defeated Petra Martic 7-6 (1) 6-3.
“It was a really solid game,” said Barty. “I felt like I just pressed a little in the middle of the game and lost my execution, but I’m glad I found it in the end and have another chance to play tomorrow.”
Sofia Kenin, number two, also took three sets to prevail against her opponent of the last 16 when the reigning Australian Open champion defeated American Jessica Pegula 5: 7: 7: 5: 6: 2.
Kenin is now facing a rematch of last year’s Australian Open final after Garbine Muguruza, number six, drove past Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 and 6-2 in less than an hour.
In the Gippsland Trophy, Simona Halep moved up to the last eight places with a direct victory over Laura Siegemund, number 16 in the Margaret Court Arena.
Halep scored a 6: 2: 6: 4 victory in one hour and 33 minutes and prepared a quarter-finals with Ekaterina Alexandrova after the reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek reached number seven with 6: 4: 6: 2.
British duo Johanna Konta and Katie Boulter both got off to a strong start before being defeated by Irina-Camelia Begu and US Open champion Naomi Osaka. Osaka face the Romanian in the last eight.
Karolina Muchova, number eight, defeated Italian Jasmine Paolini 6: 2, 4: 6, 6: 4, Kaia Kanepi won 7: 5, 6: 1 against Daria Kasatkina, and Elina Svitolina, third, came from a defeat against former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-7 (4) 6-3 6-2.
On the opening day of the Grampians Trophy, which was organized for players who had to be quarantined in their hotel rooms for 14 days, the former world number 1 Angelique Kerber won her opening game.
Number eight, who won the Australian Open title in 2016, beat Katerina Siniakova 6: 3, 4: 6, 6: 3.
Kerber will next face Ons Jabeur after beating Russian Anna Blinkova 6-1 and 6-1 in 55 minutes.
There were also first-round wins for Anett Kontaveit, the sixth seed, and Jennifer Brady, the seventh seed.
