AFP, Los Angeles :
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams held off Britain’s Heather Watson 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA hardcourt tournament in San Jose, California.
Third-seeded Williams is the highest seed left in a tournament that saw second-seed Madison Keys follow top-seeded Garbine Muguruza in pulling out because of injury on Thursday.
Keys, the defending champion, pulled out with a right wrist injury before taking the court for her second-round opener against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.
“I have been feeling pain in my wrist over the last couple of days and felt worse today,” said Keys, who was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Magdalena Frech.
Tomljanovic beat Poland’s Frech 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to book a quarter-final clash with fifth-seeded Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu, a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 winner over American teenager Amanda Anisimova.
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams held off Britain’s Heather Watson 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA hardcourt tournament in San Jose, California.
Third-seeded Williams is the highest seed left in a tournament that saw second-seed Madison Keys follow top-seeded Garbine Muguruza in pulling out because of injury on Thursday.
Keys, the defending champion, pulled out with a right wrist injury before taking the court for her second-round opener against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.
“I have been feeling pain in my wrist over the last couple of days and felt worse today,” said Keys, who was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Magdalena Frech.
Tomljanovic beat Poland’s Frech 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to book a quarter-final clash with fifth-seeded Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu, a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 winner over American teenager Amanda Anisimova.
