Stuttgart – US Open winner Samantha Stosur will face world No 2 Maria Sharapova in Friday’s quarter-finals at Stuttgart’s WTA tournament after beating defending champion Julia Goerges.
In a repeat of last year’s semi-final, Stosur, 28, was taken to three sets by Germany’s Goerges in Thursday’s second-round clash before the Australian dug deep for a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory at the clay-court tournament.
Wildcard Mona Barthel claimed her second top scalp of the week to also reach the last eight as she knocked out seventh seed Marion Bartoli.
The 21-year-old German, who blasted down 11 aces to out-muscle ex-world number one Ana Ivanovic on Wednesday in straight sets, needed just 71 minutes to beat France’s Bartoli 6-3, 6-1 as she hit a further seven aces.
In Friday’s last eight, Barthel, ranked 35th in the world, will now face either current world No 1 Victoria Azarenka or Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, who meet later on Thursday.
