Tennis News: Guadalajara Open Akron - Victoria Azarenka advances to round of 16 after Paula Badosa's elimination

Victoria Azarenka raced to a quick 4-0 lead on the back of flawless play from the baseline before Paula Badosa finally found her footing. The 24-year-old Spaniard made it 4-1 but had to call her trainer as she began struggling physically. 

Victoria Azarenka closed out the opening set 6-2 to gain a one-set lead. However, Paula Badosa decided not to continue the match due to illness, allowing the 33-year-old Belarusian to advance to the third round.

After the victory, Victoria Azarenka said, "You never want anybody to retire. We go out here to compete and do our best. It's really sad that Paula wasn't able to finish the match. I hope she recovers quickly. I'm sure we're going to have a few more matches to play, so I'm looking forward to those."

Former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka is keen to reach her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal since the 2021 Indian Wells.

Victoria Azarenka will lock horns with No.13 seed Madison Keys of the United States for a spot in the quarterfinal clash of the Guadalajara Open Akron on October 21. The 27-year-old American advanced to the third round after securing a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Ajla Tomljanovic.

Belinda Bencic crashes out of the race for WTA Finals

No. 10 seed Belinda Bencic suffered a straight-set defeat to Sloane Stephens of the United States in the second round of the Guadalajara Open Akron at Panamerican Tennis Center in Guadalajara, Mexico, on October 20.

Sloane Stephens dominated the match from the baseline with her strong service game to beat the Swiss sensation. She served four aces, 76% of the points on the first serve broke the serve of Belinda Bencic four times from seven opportunities to ensure her victory. The loss ended all the hopes of Belinda Bencic to qualify for the 2022 WTA finals.

Sloane Stephens will net face Caroline Garcia of France in a third-round clash of the Guadalajara Open Akron on October 21.

In another women's singles match of the day, Coco Gauff advanced to the pre-quarters after securing a straight-set 7-6(7-1), 6-3 victory over Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy.