Kiki Bertens moved a step closer to claiming a place at the WTA Finals by reaching the second round of the Linz Open on Wednesday.
Needing to make at least the quarter-finals to add to her tally in the quest to qualify for Singapore, Bertens swept aside wild card Barbara Haas 6-2, 6-1 in a consummate performance.
Second seed Bertens broke her opponent four times to record a comfortable victory, and she will be sure to improve her points haul if she can overcome Margarita Gasparyan on Thursday and seal a spot in the last eight.
Heading into this week, Karolina Pliskova occupies the eighth and final qualification spot, but Bertens, a three-time winner in 2018, is only a place and 10 points adrift.
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Meanwhile, former Linz Open champions Barbora Strycova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova each came through their matches on Wednesday.
Strycova, triumphant at the event 12 months ago, ousted Kirsten Flipkens 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) in her opener, while 2015 winner Pavlyuchenkova came from behind to see off Vera Lapko 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 and book a quarterfinal berth.
Former runner-up Camila Giorgi and Julia Goerges experienced contrasting fortunes - the latter, seeded first, seeing a match point go to waste as she fell to a shock 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 reverse against fellow German Andrea Petkovic.
There were no such problems for Giorgi, however, as she overcame Jil Teichmann 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, while there were also wins for Ekaterina Alexandrova and Alison Van Uytvanck.
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