Elena Rybakina defeated Tatjana Maria 6-7, 7-5, 6-0 in the round of 16 at the HSBC Championships on Thursday.
Maria won the opening set in a tiebreak and stayed competitive in the second. Rybakina adjusted and pulled away in the third set with a 6-0 scoreline.
The world No. 2 and top seed advances to the quarterfinals. She will next face Britain’s Katie Boulter.
Maria, the defending champion at age 38, used her variety and experience on grass to challenge the Kazakh but could not sustain the pressure over three sets.