Stanford’s Ahn advances in San Jose

SAN JOSE » Stanford grad and former national player of the year Kristie Ahn upset third- seeded Elise Bertens 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic on Thursday.

Ahn, ranked 178th entering this tournament, topped the 20th-ranked player in the world for her first victory over a top-20 player in the tournament being played at San Jose State University. Mertens, coming off a first-round bye, reached the semifinals last year.

This is just the second time Ahn has won back-toback matches in the main draw of a WTA event.

Ahn plays today against fifth-seeded Donna Vekic, a 6- 4, 6-3 winner over Victoria Azarenka.

Ahn beat 43rd-ranked Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 4- 6, 6- 4 in 2 hours, 18 minutes, in the first round.

• Fourth seed Amanda Anisimova reached her first WTA quarterfinal on North American hardcourts, defeating fellow American Madison Brengle 6-2, 6-2.

Anisimova, the Claro Open Colsanitas champion and a French Open semifinalist, is back on the surface on which she won the junior U.S. Open two years ago, and played impressive tennis to reach her fifth quarterfinal of the season after 54 minutes.

Anisimova, 17, enjoyed major breakthroughs at her first two Grand Slam appearances of the season, reaching the second week at the Australian Open, but is playing her first tournament since a second-round loss at Wimbledon.

The American will play tonight against China’s Zheng Saisai, who upset No. 8 seed and last year’s event semifinalist Danielle Collins 6-2, 6- 0.

• Vekic, the fifth seed, rallied from deficits in both sets to eliminate the former World No. 1, a winner at the event’s previous run at Stanford in 2010. Azarenka led 4-1 in the opening set and 2- 0 in the second. Vekic won five straight games to end the first and three straight in the second after getting broke to open the set.