Two-time runner-up Victoria Azarenka reached her fourth US Open quarter-final on Monday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Varvara Lepchenko of the United States.
Former world number one Azarenka, the 20th seed, will face either Romanian second seed Simona Halep or Sabine Lisicki, the 24th-seeded German, for a place in the semi-finals.
The Belarusian, whose season has been stalled by a left thigh strain, appeared on Arthur Ashe Stadium with both biceps tightly strapped.
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“It’s a little embarrassing. I have blisters from my shirts rubbing against my arms so I needed the bandages,” said Azarenka, the runner-up to Serena Williams in 2012 and 2013. “It looks weird but I did what I have to do.”
Lepchenko, who was bidding to become the first American woman not called Williams to make the last-eight since 2009, was broken in the third and ninth games of the opening set.
She rallied to edge ahead in the first game of the second but handed the break straight back to the 26-year-old Azarenka. The Belarus star carved another break for 5-3 before faltering when she served for the match. But she secured victory in the next game on her first match point when left-handed Lepchenko went wide.
“I felt at 5-3 that I never went for my shots, she didn’t give me much rhythm,” she said. “But I told myself to be aggressive and go for it.”
Make the #usopen quarterfinals, have a dance party. #Azarenka pic.twitter.com/V9iPx4z1Bi
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2015
