Ash Barty and Daria Gavrilova have set up an all-Aussie quarterfinal at the Internationaux de Strasbourg after contrasting victories on Wednesday.
Strasbourg, France, 25 May 2017 | AAP
The Australian pair reached the quarters in varying styles.
Rising star Barty stormed into the last eight at the Roland Garros tune-up with with a straight-sets win over Camila Giorgi.
The 21-year-old Australian was on court for a just over an hour in the 6-3 6-0 victory against her overwhelmed Italian opponent.
Gavrilova, a quarterfinalist in Rome last week, was made to work a lot harder.
Eventually the seventh seed prevailed with a 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 victory over Russian qualifier Elizaveta Kulichkova in two hours and 15 minutes.
The duo have only ever met once but it was back in 2012, and not on the main tour, when Barty prevailed 7-5 7-5 in an Australian Pro Tour event in Traralgon, Victoria.
They join fellow Australian and 2015 Strasbourg champion Sam Stosur in the last eight.
Stosur, the No.6 seed and a later wildcard entry into the tournament, will take on Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.
Original author: Matt Trollope