MELBOURNE, Australia - Dominika Cibulkova reproduced the kind of tennis that helped her reach the final last year as she beat two-time champion Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday.
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Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia celebrates after defeating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during their women's singles fourth round match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne January 26, 2015. [Photo/Agencies] |
Cibulkova pounded 44 winners, including a dozen on her backhand side, and broke former No. 1-ranked Azarenka's serve seven times to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the sixth time.
She lost the final here last year to the now-retired Li Na.
The No. 10-ranked Cibulkova will play the winner of the fourth-round match between top-ranked Serena Williams and Garbine Muguruza.
Azarenka, unseeded this year after injuries restricted her to just nine tournaments last season, won the Australian title in 2012 and '13 and reached the quarterfinals last year.