Muguruza, Venus, Kuznetsova through

Garbine Muguruza has progressed to a big-hitting quarterfinal against Karolina Pliskova at Indian Wells after ending Elina Svitolina’s 15-match winning streak.

With a topsy-turvy, 7-6(5) 1-6 6-0 win the world No.7 advances her third quarterfinal of the year, and first ever at Indian Wells.

“I think it was a very difficult match today. It was like a test, because she has been winning, like, 15 matches in a row, and she just getting to top 10, as well. I was, like, okay, it’s going to be a tough match and she has a very difficult game, as well. I’m pretty happy about my match. It wasn’t easy at all,” Muguruza said.

Pliskova was leading Timea Bacsinszky 5-1 when the Swiss retired with a wrist injury.

The No.3 seeded Pliskova holds a 5-1 winning record over the Spaniard.

Also advancing to the quarters was Venus Williams, who overcame a slow start to end the run of qualifier Peng Shuai.

Williams looked sluggish early yet awoke in the second and third sets and cracked some impressive winners to record a 3-6 6-1 6-3 victory.

The win sends her through to the last eight at Indian Wells for the first time since 2001.

“Wasn’t really sure how it was going to turn out today. There were some up-and-downs and errors. It was so frustrating. But I feel like I got my focus more in that second set and towards the end of the third, because, I don’t know. I’m just a competitor,” Williams said.

“So if things get closer, then I think my better tennis is going to come. Obviously I don’t want things to get close. I want to try to run away with it.

“I know I’m getting closer (to the title). Today was final 16. So advance to the final eight. There are eight people left. One of us will win. So the odds are getting better. I have to focus. It’s not there yet. It’s just, like, getting closer.

“Your mouth starts to water, but it doesn’t mean you’ll get fed. So I have to get it in and try to win.”

Instead of an expected meeting with No.2 seed Angelique Kerber, Williams next meets Elena Vesnina, who stunned the German 6-3 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Kerber will nonetheless return to world No.1 on the Monday after the tournament, displacing Venus’s sister Serena.

Earlier on Tuesday, Svetlana Kuznetsova has produced her deepest run in the Californian desert since 2008 with a commanding victory over Caroline Garcia.

Opening play on Stadium 1, Kuznetsova cruised to a 6-1 6-4 victory over Garcia in 71 minutes.

Since reaching the final in 2008 – where she lost to Ana Ivanovic – Kuznetsova won a meagre five matches in eight subsequent visits to Indian Wells.

Yet this year, coming off a resurgent 2016 season, the Russian veteran is through to the last eight and will next compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat No.5 seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-4 3-6 6-2.

“I wish I’d known (the secret to consistent success) earlier when playing in the years before,” Kuznetsova said.

“But I don’t know, I’ve just fallen in love with the game again and just enjoying the court and the crowd, and enjoying coming here because I have a lot of friends here,” she said.

Kuznetsova took advantage of an error-prone display from Garcia, winning their third straight meeting thanks to impressive consistency and depth of shot.

The 21st-seeded Garcia misfired all day, managing to win just a third of points behind her first serve while her shot selection was at times questionable.

Pavlyuchenkova has beaten Kuznetsova twice in 2017, in Sydney and at the Australian Open.

In the last match of the Tuesday schedule, Caroline Wozniacki was too steady for Madison Keys, winning 6-4 6-4.