Charleston Open: Azarenka wins arm-wrestle with Townsend to make quarter-finals

Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No 12 seed, moved into the quarter-finals of the Charleston Open by edging out American Taylor Townsend 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 at the Family Circle Tennis Center on Thursday evening.

This is Azarenka’s fourth quarter-final of 2024, but it didn’t come easy. At one stage the Belarusian was behind by a set and a break, but fought her way back into the contest in the face of some big serving by Townsend.

Azarenka, ranked No 26, will face American Jessica Pegula, the top seed, next.

In the previous round of the Charleston tournament, the 34-year-old Belarusian won against Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (6-1, 6-2).

Townsend, ranked No 68, defeated Sofia Kenin (6-3, 6-3) and Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, the No 6 seed (7-5, 6-2) earlier in the tournament.

Charleston WTA 500, other last 16 results (Family Circle Tennis Center, clay, USD 922.573, most recent results first):

• Astra Sharma vs. Maria Sakkari
• Sloane Stephens vs. Danielle Collins
• Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Veronika Kudermetova
• Elina Svitolina vs. Elise Mertens
• Jaqueline Cristian beat Emma Navarro (10): 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
• Daria Kasatkina (4) beat Anhelina Kalinina (15): 6-1, 6-4
• Jessica Pegula beat Magda Linette: 6-2, 6-2