Sport

Erakovic takes top scalp at Stanford

12:08 pm on 29 July 2011

The New Zealand number one Marina Erakovic has claimed her biggest tennis scalp so far, beating world number four Victoria Azarenka from Belarus to reach the quarter-finals at the WTA's Stanford Classic tournament in California.

The top seeded Azarenka won the first set 6-4 with one break of service, but it was Erakovic who broke in the decisive game of the second set to take it 7-5.

The Aucklander made the early running in the third set, breaking the Belarussian to go 3-love up and then broke Azarenka in the last game again to close it out 6-2.

Erakovic, who came through qualifying and breezed through the first round with a straight sets win over Swedish doubles partner Sofia Arvidsson, now faces Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova.

Japanese player Ayumi Morita came back to beat Poland's Urszula Radwanska 4-6 7-5 6-1 in the other round of eight match on Erakovic's side of the draw - Morita now faces Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.