Pan Pacific Open: Unseeded Italian Camila Giorgi stuns Sloane Stephens; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova through to quarter-finals

Osaka: Camila Giorgi dropped just three games to upset third-seeded Sloane Stephens 6-0, 6-3 in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_5227961” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Camila Giorgi. AFP[/caption] The unseeded Italian, who reached the semi-finals last year, beat the 2017 US Open champion to set up a quarter-final match against Belgian Elise Mertens. “It was a good match for sure and I was able to play my game, show off my attacking style and be consistent. When I play I always focus on myself. I only made a few mistakes. That’s always been my way, ever since I was little, to attack, to go forward, to put the pressure on. This surface suits my game, too,” Giorgi said. Giorgi dropped her serve at 5-2 in the second set but she sealed the victory in the next game on her fourth match point. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat second-seeded Kiki Bertens 6-1, 7-5 to progress to the last eight, described her win as “super-tough.” Wild card Misaki Doi will be Pavlyuchenkova’s opponent in the last eight after the Japanese upset seventh-seeded Donna Vekic 7-6 (5), 6-3. Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan faces top-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan in the quarter-finals after she defeated qualifier Varvara Flink 6-1, 6-1. At the Korea Open in Seoul, third-seeded Karolina Muchova reached her third quarter-final in her last four tournaments when she defeated qualifier Timea Babos 6-2, 6-3. “I was trying to be more focused on myself, to play my game, and it worked out. I think I played pretty solid today, and it was enough to win the match,” the Czech said. Muchova will next take on Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon, who edged fifth-seeded Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.