Barty, Kenin advance to quarter-finals after hard-fought wins

[ASFN Admin]

Top two seeds Ash Barty and Sofia Kenin overcame steep challenges on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne and keep their Australian Open preparations on course. World number one Barty, who won 6-0 4-6 6-3, showed no signs of fatigue from having played a late match on Tuesday and started in top gear against Marie Bouzkova at the Margaret Court Arena before her Czech opponent staged a fightback. Australian Open champion Kenin, seeded second, appeared headed for an exit against fellow American Jessica Pegula when she fell 3-0 back after losing the first set but the feisty 22-year-old found her range and rallied for a 5-7 7-5 6-2 win.

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