(Doha) The Japanese Naomi Osaka qualified without playing on Wednesday for the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 tournament in Doha, where the 38e Canadian world champion Leylah Fernandez beat Chinese Zheng Qinwen, world No.7 (7-5, 6-3).
Osaka, quadruple Grand Slam champion, did not have to face the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, who fell the day before ons Jabeur. Injured in an elbow, she withdrew.
The 26-year-old Japanese, returning from maternity leave at the beginning of January, will play against another former world No.1, Karolina Pliskova.
PHOTO KARIM JAAFAR, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Naomi Osaka
The Chinese Zheng Qinwen, 21 years old and finalist of the Australian Open at the end of January, missed the boat: after leading 5-3 in the first set, she saw the Canadian Fernandez come back and then win.
Fernandez, also 21 and a finalist at the 2021 US Open, will be pitted for a place in the semis at No. 4e Kazakh world Elena Rybakina or American Emma Navarro, 23e.
Polish world No.1 Iga Swiatek plays against Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, 19elater Wednesday.