Karolina Pliskova dumped out of Qatar Open by the ever-improving Ons Jabeur

Ons Jabeur’s fine 2020 continued as she upset third seed Karolina Pliskova in the round of 16 at the Qatar Open in Doha.

The 25-year-old Tunisian stunned the Czech by winning the first set and although Pliskova fought back to take the match to a decider, it was Jabeur who went through to the last eight, where she will meet Petra Kvitova, with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 victory.

There was no such difficulty for fourth seed Belinda Bencic as she progressed courtesy of a straight sets victory over Yulia Putintseva.

The 22-year-old Swiss showed no ill-effects from her gruelling three-set encounter with Veronika Kudermetova in the last 32 as she eased to a 6-4 6-3 win.

She will face world number 46 Svetlana Kuznetsova in her third quarter-final of the year after the Russian had a walkover following opponent Amanda Anisimova’s withdrawal through illness.

Kvitova, however, needed three sets to see off Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 5-7 6-1, while Zheng Saisai fought back to get the better of seventh seed Kiki Bertens 3-6 6-3 6-4.

Belarus player Aryna Sabalenka lost just three games as she beat Maria Sakkari 6-3 6-0, while Garbine Muguruza was similarly untroubled in her 6-2 6-4 win over Dayana Yastremska.

The Spaniard will go head to head with top seed Ashleigh Barty on Thursday.

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