FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — Venus Williams beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals of the Brazil Tennis Cup on Wednesday.
Williams converted on her fourth match point to beat the 96th-ranked Muguruza in 2 hours, 12 minutes on hard court at the southern Brazilian city of Florianopolis.
The American had squandered three match points at 5-4 after getting back on serve late in the third set, but finally closed out the match with her first break point of the final game.
The 20th-ranked Williams is the top-seeded player in Brazil. She is playing her first tournament since losing to Maria Sharapova in the third round of the Australian Open in January.
Williams will now play fifth-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, who defeated qualifier Beatriz Garcia Vidagany of Spain 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. The 52nd-ranked Rybarikova saved 13 of the 21 break opportunities she conceded in the match that lasted 2 hours, 33 minutes.
Earlier Wednesday, Timea Babos of Hungary beat fourth-seeded Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 6-1, 6-2. The 133rd-ranked Babos broke Scheepers' serve five times. Scheepers, ranked 60th in the world, had eight break points but converted only one of them.
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