Dubai Duty Free Championships: Muchova downs Bencic to book quarter-final spot

Czech Karolina Muchova upset Swiss Belinda Bencic, the No 8 seed, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the last eight of the Dubai Duty Free Championships at The Aviation Club Tennis Centre on Wednesday.

Muchova, ranked No 112, will face American Jessica Pegula, the No 3 seed, next.

Earlier, the Czech beat American Bernarda Pera (6-1, 6-4) and Romanian Sorana Cirstea (6-4, 7-6 (4)).

Bencic, ranked No 9, edged out Ukrainian wildcard Marta Kostyuk (6-7 (7), 7-6 (5), 6-4) in the previous round, a match that lasted three hours, 27 minutes.

Dubai WTA 1000, other last 16 results (The Aviation Club Tennis Centre, hard, USD 2.788.468, most recent results first):

• Elena Rybakina vs. Coco Gauff
• Barbora Krejcikova vs. Petra Kvitova
• Jelena Ostapenko vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Iga Swiatek vs. Liudmila Samsonova: wednesday
• Madison Keys beat Victoria Azarenka (15): 6-2, 6-1
• Jessica Pegula beat Ana Bogdan (Q): 6-4, 6-3
• Karolina Pliskova beat Anhelina Kalinina: 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-2