Zheng advances in Qatar

Doha - Zheng Saisai, the Chinese player who surprisingly knocked out Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber from the Qatar Open, claimed another high-profile scalp on Wednesday, beating Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets.

Zheng, 22, won 7-6 (7/1), 6-1 to march into the final eight in Doha.

The world number 73 won in an hour and 35 minutes against Bouchard, who is returning to the circuit from a freak injury she sustained at the US Open last September.

Zheng's victory came just 24 hours after she dumped Kerber out with a 7-5, 6-1 win.

After Tuesday saw seven seeds knocked out, the surprises continued on Wednesday.

Among the early losers was the number five seed and double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova who was defeated by Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

Ostapenko is ranked 78 places behind world number eight, Kvitova.

The highest remaining seeds, Agnieszka Radwanska, number three and Garbine Muguruza, number four, both play their last-16 matches later on Wednesday.