Stosur into Japan quarters

Osaka - Third-seeded Samantha Stosur beat Swiss qualifier Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-4, 6-2 at the Japan Open on Wednesday to reach her first quarter-finals since her title run in Carlsbad in August.

Stosur lost her serve twice but broke Bencic five times at Utsobu Park and will next face either Kimiko Date-Krumm or Misaki Doi in the last eight.

Stosur won in Osaka in 2009 and was runner-up in 2011 and a semi-finalist in 2012.

In other second-round matches, fifth-seeded Eugenie Bouchard of Canada overpowered Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand 6-2, 6-2 while local wildcard Kurumi Nara beat eighth-seeded Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).

Czech qualifier Barbora Zahlavova Strycova defeated Vania King of the United States for the second time this year, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, and will meet Bouchard next.

Results from the WTA Japan Women's Open on Wednesday: (x denotes seeding)

Women's singles

2nd round

Samantha Stosur (AUS x3) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-4, 6-2

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x5) bt Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-2, 6-2

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) bt Vania King (USA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1

Kurumi Nara (JPN) bt Monica Puig (PUR x8) 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)

Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Sabine Lisicki (GER x2) walkover