MIAMI — Venus Williams booked the first women's quarterfinal spot at the ATP and WTA tournament in Miami Monday as she beat fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 (7-1). The 34-year-old Williams is playing her home event for the 16th time and owns three titles. The American took the win despite 37 unforced errors in a match riddled with a dozen breaks of serve. Williams has never lost to former No. 1 Wozniacki from Denmark and now stands 7-0 in the series. On Sunday, Fernando Verdasco upset second seed Rafael Nadal 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in a third-round matchup of Spaniards. Nadal, a four-time Miami runner-up, leaves the Masters Series hardcourt event without a title again this year after his 11th appearance. Verdasco, ranked 34th, defeated Nadal for the second time in a row after losing their first 13 meetings, although that most recent prior meeting came three years ago in Madrid. Also advancing with victories Sunday were world No. 1 Serena Williams and Britain's Andy Murray. Nadal saved a match point in the eighth game of the second set trailing 5-2, but Verdasco closed out the shocker a game later with a return winner. The 14-time Grand Slam champion said after the defeat that his formerly untouchable game needs work and the mental side may now be his weak link. Murray won his 499th career match, downing Colombian Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round. The 27-year-old Scotsman next plays South Africa's Kevin Anderson, who eliminated Argentina's Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 6-4. In women's play, Williams crushed a teen less than half her age, defeating American Catherine Bellis 6-1, 6-1. The 15-year-old challenger was no match for the 33-year-old Williams, a 19-time Grand Slam champion bidding for a record eighth trophy here. Bellis, the junior world No. 1, found herself in a major test against the game's current dominator in her first WTA appearance since the US Open. Williams will next face Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, a winner over German 13th seed Angelique Kerber 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Aiming for a third consecutive Miami title, Williams stretched her win streak to 14 matches at Crandon Park. Her career Miami record now stands at 69-7. Williams wrapped up the affair in 41 minutes with 15 winners and five breaks of the prodigy's serve. Bellis committed 21 unforced errors. “If you break down her age and her ability and how well I think she handled the moment and how well she played, I think it was good,” Williams said. Third seed Simona Halep defeated Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-4, 7-5 to continue the momentum she took from last week's title at Indian Wells. — Agencies
