Venus Williams came from a set down on Wednesday to defeat Simona Halep of Romania 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 and reach the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open.

Williams, making her first appearance in the Tokyo tournament since 2009, broke serve to go up 5-3 in the second set at Ariake Colosseum and then won with a crosscourt forehand that Halep hit into the net.

“It was a very tough match,” Williams said. “She played very well. I don’t know how I was able to win the match. I just wanted to stay in Japan longer.”

Williams, who ousted top-seeded Victoria Azarenka on Tuesday, will face Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfinals.

Bouchard upset sixth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 7-5, 6-2.

Making her debut in the Tokyo tournament, Bouchard broke Jankovic to go up 5-2 in the second set and then held serve to win.

Jankovic had a 5-4 lead in the first set but Bouchard won the last three games after a talk with her coach.

“I felt like I wasn’t playing my best in the first set,” Bouchard said. “But I stayed with her and started to get a lot more aggressive near the end of the first set and that was the turning point.”

Bouchard, who is 46th in the world rankings, said winning last year’s junior Wimbledon title has given her confidence to compete at a higher level.

“That gave me a lot of confidence to play in the pros,” Bouchard said. “Playing week in, week out against the top players has made me a better player.”

In another third-round match, fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, defeated Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, 6-1, 6-1.

Murray goes under knife

LONDON AFP-
JIJI

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray thanked medical staff on Tuesday after undergoing surgery on his troublesome back.

The 26-year-old world No. 3 underwent the minor procedure to address a disc problem in his lower back on Monday and is likely to be out of action until the end of the year.

Writing on Twitter on Tuesday, he thanked the hospital staff who had taken care of him during his treatment.

“After spending two days in hospital you realize and appreciate how amazing a job carers, nurses, doctors etc. do in hospitals all over the world looking after people who are in need,” he said.

“Thanks to everyone at hospital for looking after me and putting me back together again.”

Murray had previously posted a picture of himself on Twitter giving a thumbs-up sign after the operation.

His expected absence for the rest of the year means he is likely to miss the season’s last four tournaments in Asia, Paris and the World Tour Finals in London.

Instead he will aim to regain full fitness in time to begin his preparations for next year at his Miami training base in early November.

The back issue that Murray has battled with flared up badly in May during the Rome Masters, prompting him to abandon a second-round match against Marcel Granollers and then pull out of the French Open.

The Scot and his team have carefully dealt with the complaint since then, and it did not prevent his run to Wimbledon glory in July.