Cincinnati: Former World number one Ashleigh Barty eyes top spot in WTA ranking after she edges past Estonian Anett Kontaveit to book her berth in the quarterfinals of Cincinnati Open.
The win keeps the Australian in the chase for a possible return to the number one ranking, which she lost to Japan's Naomi Osaka on Monday. Barty needs to reach Sunday's final in order to regain the ranking summit.
Women's top seed held off Kontaveit as the Estonian served for victory before Barty scraped a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 triumph into the WTA event quarter-finals.
"It was a little bit scrappy at times today but proud of the way we were able to fight and hang in there right until the end," said the reigning Roland Garros champion.
"It was more about the fight today than the tennis."
Barty, who earlier eliminated five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova, will play Friday against Maria Sakkari of Greece, a 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4 winner over ninth seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Japanese second seed Osaka advanced 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-2 over Hsieh Su-Wei, who defeated Osaka this year in Miami.
Osaka, current holder of the US and Australian Open titles, is playing the event for the fist time after failing to qualify on her only previous attempt in 2016.
2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys sent Wimbledon champion Simona Halep out 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.
Halep, last year's Cincinnati runner-up, will go to the US Open with just three post-Wimbledon competitive matches.
Double Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova beat 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-2.
Venus Williams won three matches in a row for the first time since March as she defeated Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
