Azarenka downs Konta to reach Miami semi-finals

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka advanced to the semi-finals of the ATP and WTA Miami Open by defeating British 24th seed Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-2.
Azarenka, the champion at Indian Wells earlier this month, will next face the winner of a later match between German second seed Angelique Kerber, the reigning Australian Open champion, and US 22nd seed Madison Keys.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia and Swiss 19th seed Timea Bacsinszky will meet in Thursday's other women's semi-final.
Eighth-ranked Azarenka, who was injured last year and had not been in the world's top 10 since August of 2014 until last week, will jump to fifth next week as a result of the victory.

"I'm going to continue to fight and get better," Azarenka said. "I'm trying to push myself, keep the intensity high."
The men's quarter-finals began with Belgian 15th seed David Goffin rallying to beat French 18th seed Gilles Simon 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

"It was tough at the start with a little bit of wind. It wasn't easy to finish a point," Goffin said. "I just tried to stay in the match and focus on what I had to do."
Goffin matched his semi-final run from Indian Wells and will next play the winner of a later match between top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic and Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych.

"I'm feeling so good," Goffin said. "I'm having a great month, confident for the rest of the event and the season."
Azarenka, who won the 2009 and 2011 Miami titles, could become only the third woman to win back-to-back in Miami humidity and Indian Wells desert heat after Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996 and Kim Clijsters in 2005.
"If I win, that's great," Azarenka said. "But right now I'm looking to the semis."
Australian Open semi-finalist Konta, who was born in
Australia and became a British citizen in 2012, is the first British woman in the top 25 since 1987.

In the first set, Konta double-faulted away a break to give Azarenka a 4-3 lead and lost a break point in the eighth game on a review. Azarenka held that game and rescued two break points in the 10th game, taking the set when Konta netted a backhand.
In the second, Azarenka broke to love for a 2-1 lead, part of a run of 11 consecutive points. Konta sent a forehand long to surrender another break in the fifth game and Azarenka held twice to advance.
"I couldn't get a good rhythm on her serve at the beginning. It was tough," Azarenka said. "But once I got into that rhythm, I was able to make a difference."

Djokovic, trying to match Andre Agassi's record of six Miami titles, has won 13 matches in a row at the hardcourt event and 27 of his past 28.
The 28-year-old Serbian won his 11th Grand Slam title two months ago at the Australian Open and also has crowns this year at Doha and Indian Wells.
Berdych has a career win-loss record of 2-22 against Djokovic and has lost their past nine meetings over three years.