MADRID, May 9 (UPI) -- Defending champion Petra Kvitova fell in an upset while red-hot world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka continued her winning ways Wednesday at the Madrid Open.
The third-seeded Kvitova, who bested Azarenka in the finals of last year's event, was stunned by fellow Czech Lucie Hradecka, who cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory in second-round play.
Kvitova never got on track in the match, managing only two service breaks to her opponent's five.
Azarenka, meanwhile, improved to 32-2 in 2012 with her 6-4, 6-4 win over 13th-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.
The Belarus star now goes on to the quarterfinals where she'll meet China's Li Na, who got past 12th-seeded German Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-4.
Also Wednesday, fourth-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska pounded out a 6-0, 6-1 second-round win over Italy's Sara Errani, who was coming off a victory in last week's Budapest event.
Fifth-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia dispatched Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-3, 6-2 in a third-round match while Ekaterina Makarova bested 16th-seeded fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 6-4 in second-round play.
