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Venus Williams fights off upset bid

Venus Williams hits a backhand in the first set against Angelique Kerber of Germany in their second round match at the 2012 U.S. Open Tennis Championships in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on August 30, 2012. UPI/John Angelillo
Venus Williams hits a backhand in the first set against Angelique Kerber of Germany in their second round match at the 2012 U.S. Open Tennis Championships in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on August 30, 2012. UPI/John Angelillo | License Photo

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Venus Williams outlasted Garbine Muguruza Wednesday to earn a quarterfinal berth in the Brazil Tennis Cup.

Muguruza, 19, is ranked 96th in the world, but she made the top-seeded Williams work hard for a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 win that set up a meeting with No. 5 seed Magdalena Rybarikova. Muguruza survived three match points before falling to the seven-time major championship winner.

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Rybarikova fought off qualifier Beatriz Garcia Vidagany in the second round 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

In other second-round matches involving seeded players, Timea Babos surprised No. 4 Channelle Scheepers 6-1, 6-2 and No. 7 Kristina Mladenovic ousted Tatjana Malek 6-2, 6-1.

Melinda Czink also defeated Beatriz Haddad 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), Olga Puchkova rallied past Caroline Garcia 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and Monica Niculescu cruised by Tereza Mrdeza 6-1, 6-1.

Czink will face Mladenovic in the quarterfinals, Puchkova will play Jana Cepelova and Niculescu will meet Babos.

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