KEEPING it fresh, a couple of results mixed up what could have been a predictable couple of upcoming quarter finals. In the Round of 16 at the WTA Tour’s Miami Open fantasy tennis tournament, both 23rd seed Karolina Muchova and the unseeded Magda Linette advance through to the last eight following upsets.

Muchova’s big win was a huge one, completely outplaying sixth seed and multiple Grand Slam winner, Serena Williams. In a match that lasted an hour and 26 minutes, Muchova triumphed 6-2 6-3 to knock out on of the tournament favourites in Williams’ home country. The Czech became the second player from her nation to reach the last eight after Karolina Pliskova made it through to the quarter finals yesterday. It is the only nation that has two representatives remaining in the Miami Open.

Linette had a similarly big run to keep her huge effort at Miami going, able to defeat 21st seed, Anett Kontaveit in three sets. The first two provided some of the best possible tennis with the Pole winning the first set tiebreaker 7-5, before the Estonian hit back in the second. It too went to a tiebreaker, with the higher ranked player getting up in a tight 8-6 contest to level the match. By this stage the crowd was at fever pitch as the players headed onto court for a third and deciding set. It was Linette who came out stronger, having a crucial break early in the set and then one at 4-2 which helped her get up 6-2 in the final set for a 7-6 6-7 6-2 victory.

An equally entertaining contest was that between world number one Ash Barty, and 10th seed, Garbine Muguruza. The two Grand Slam winners went at it hammer and tong for the majority of the match not giving each other an inch. It took some inspired tennis for the winner of each set to get up, as Barty claimed a break to win 6-3 in the first, before back-to-back breaks in the second set for Muguruza levelled the match. The third set was determined early as Barty left nothing out on the court remembering her loss to the Spaniard at Indian Wells. She turned the tables on Muguruza in this match, cruising to victory in the last and winning the final four games of the match to win 6-3 2-6 6-1.

In the final game of the fourth round, third seed Sofia Kenin triumphed over 17th seed, Maria Sakkari. It was another three-set contest but early on it looked like Kenin was going to stroll to victory, winning the first set 6-0 and then having a break in the second. The Greek up-and-comer hit back though and won five of the next six games to take out the second set and level the match. Kenin got back on top in the decider to win 6-0 4-6 6-2 in an hour and 57 minutes.

Tomorrow the quarter finals take place with fourth seed Kiki Bertens and ninth seed Naomi Osaka first up, followed by second seed Pliskova and 26th seed Qiang Wang. In the night session, Kenin and Muchova go head-to-head before Barty and Linette battle it out.

ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[1] Ash Barty (AUS) defeated [10] Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 6-3 2-6 6-1
[3] Sofia Kenin (USA) defeated [17] Maria Sakkari 6-0 4-6 6-2
[23] Karolina Muchova (CZE) defeated [16] Serena Williams (USA) 6-2 6-3
Magda Linette (POL) defeated [21] Anett Kontaveit (EST) 7-6 6-7 6-2