World No. 2 Wozniacki ousted in Indian Wells

Indian Wells, United States: Russian Daria Kasatkina, who has beaten all four reigning Grand Slam champions in the past year, upset world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki while Simona Halep and Venus Williams punched their tickets to the Indian Wells quarter-finals at the WTA Indian Wells event on Tuesday.

It was Kasatkina's second straight win over Wozniacki, having also beaten the reigning Australian Open champ at the St. Petersburg tournament last month.  

The 20-year-old Kasatkina improved to 11-6 on the WTA Tour season as she seeks to better her quarter-final appearance here in 2016.

Kasatkina hit one ace, won 54 percent of her first serves and broke Wozniacki's serve six times in the 6-4, 7-5 victory, which came in one hour and 40 minutes.

"She outsmarted me today, which is fair enough," Wozniacki said. "But, you know, at least I tried, and I tried to do what I thought I needed to do out there today.

"I just couldn't execute as well as I wanted to."

It was a disappointing exit for Wozniacki, who finally silenced her critics earlier this year with her maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne, where she defeated Simona Halep in the final.

That victory not only earned Wozniacki her first Grand Slam title but it made her the world number one. Halep reclaimed the ranking just before Indian Wells.

Wozniacki had a chance to take it back but she needed to win the Indian Wells title to do it. 

Kasatkina next plays 10th seed Angelique Kerber, of Germany, who roared past seventh seeded Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-1.

Earlier, Halep breezed through her fourth round match with a 7-5, 6-1 win over China's Wang Qiang and eighth seed Venus Williams faced a stern test from Anastasija Sevastova but held on for a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory.

Halep advances to the quarter-finals where she will face unseeded Petra Martic of Croatia who beat Czech Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).

Meanwhile, Venus Williams survived a difficult fourth round test to beat Latvia's Sevastova just one day after beating sister Serena in a third round contest. It was the first time Venus has beaten Serena since 2014 in Montreal.

Venus next faces Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain who rolled past Danielle Collins 6-2, 6-4.