BERLIN — Former top-ranked player Victoria Azarenka clinched a spot in the quarterfinals of the grass-court Berlin tournament with a 6-3, 6-3 win over qualifier Zeynep Sonmez.
Now ranked 19th, Azarenka broke her rival five times and managed to save five break points.
It was the first time that Azarenka played Sonmez, a 22-year-old from Turkey who produced her first career tour-level win against Arantxa Rus.
Azarenka, who is from Belarus, was a semifinalist in Berlin in 2021. The two-time Grand Slam champion has never won a title on grass.