IT was a massive Round of 16 at the WTA Tour Madrid Open fantasy tournament, with a couple of huge scalps turning the tables on the competition. Four top 10 seeds were eliminated as seeded talents dropped like flies.

The biggest win went to Polish teenager, Iga Swiatek who defeated world number one Ash Barty in a marathon match. Swiatek came out firing against the tough Aussie, pushing ahead early before the first seed hit back in the latter end of the first set. While Swiatek won the first set tiebreaker, Barty drew on her late momentum to take out the second set with relative ease to draw even on one set apiece moving into a tough third set. The pair traded blows, neither able to find much momentum, but it was Swiatek who eventually ran away with the 7-6 3-6 6-4 victory. The other impressive victory was Jelena Ostapenko‘s solid win over second seed Simona Halep, and despite a slump in the second set she was consistent and threatening taking out the win, 6-4 1-6 7-6.

Four more seeds missed out on the quarter finals, as Karolina Pliskova, Kiki Bertens, Belinda Bencic and Johanna Konta were outplayed by their respective seeded opposition. Pliskova and Bertens were both well beaten by their higher ranked competition in three sets, with Garbine Muguruza reigning supreme over Pliskova, 6-3 4-6 7-5, while Bertens could not compete with Pliskova’s twelfth seed compatriot, Petra Kvitova, going down 6-3 4-6 7-5. Ukrainian third seed Elina Svitolina is now the top ranked player left in the mix after defeating Konta in straight sets in just 57 minutes, while Naomi Osaka followed in her footsteps with a similarly straightforward 6-1 6-3 over Bertens.

The remaining two matches saw Americans Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend reign supreme over the likes of Yulia Putintseva and Marketa Vondrousova, both winning in tight three set matches but Stephens certainly the luckier to make it through given her mammoth 7-5 5-7 7-5 victory over Putintseva. 

Tomorrow will see Svitolina and Osaka go head to head in one of the bigger match-ups, while Swiatek will be up for a challenge against Kvitova.

ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

Iga Swiatek (POL) defeated [1] Ash Barty (AUS) 7-6 3-6 6-4
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) defeated [2] Simona Halep (ROU) 6-4 1-6 7-6
[3] Elina Svitolina (UKR) defeated [14] Johanna Konta (GBR) 6-4 6-1
[9] Garbine Muguruza (ESP) defeated [5] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 1-6 6-4 7-5
[6] Naomi Osaka (JPN) defeated [11] Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-1 6-3
[12] Petra Kvitova (CZE) defeated [7] Kiki Bertens (NED) 6-3 4-6 7-5
Sloane Stephens (USA) defeated Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 7-5 5-7 7-5
[Q] Taylor Townsend (USA) defeated Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 6-4 1-6 7-5