(Berlin) Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka earned her pass to the quarter-finals of the Berlin grass tournament by defeating Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday.

The Belarusian player, now 19th in the world, had five breaks of serve and avoided five more.

It was the first match between Azarenka and Sonmez, a 22-year-old Turkish player who recorded her first victory on the women’s professional circuit on Monday against Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus.

Azarenka, who has won two career Grand Slam titles, has never won a title on the pitch. She participated in the semi-finals in Berlin in 2021.