Azarenka nears second straight title

LINZ, Austria, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, seeking her second consecutive tournament victory, easily posted a second-round win Thursday at the Generali Ladies Linz.

Azarenka triumphed last week in Beijing and she kept her streak going with a 6-1, 6-1 decision over Simona Halep.

Petra Martic will be Azarenka's quarterfinal opponent after outlasting Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6-2, 3-6, 6-0.

Second-seeded Ana Ivanovic also reached the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Andrea Petkovic. Ivanovic will next face Kirsten Flipkens, who was a 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 winner Thursday over Mallory Burdette.

The other quarterfinal matches will send Irina-Camelia Begu against Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Julia Goerges against Sofia Arvidsson.