Brisbane, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) – Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic
eased into the quarterfinals Wednesday at the season-opening $1 million
Brisbane International tennis event.
The second-seeded Serbian star subdued Aussie wild card Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4,
6-1 on the hardcourts at Queensland Tennis Centre.
Ivanovic’s quarterfinal opponent on Thursday will be Estonian slugger and 2012
Brisbane champion Kaia Kanepi, who advanced by besting American qualifier
Madison Brengle 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
Also on Wednesday, seventh-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro overcame
Croatian veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 and Russian lucky loser
Alla Kudryavtseva surprised rising Czech Karolina Pliskova 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Thursday’s other quarters will pit top-seeded former No. 1 Maria Sharapova
against Suarez Navarro, third-seeded German Angelique Kerber versus Ukrainian
Elina Svitolina and Kudryavtseva against American Varvara Lepchenko.
Brisbane serves as a tune-up for the Aussie Open, which will begin January
19 in Melbourne.
