HONG KONG (AP) Top-ranked Angelique Kerber quickly finished off her rain-delayed second-round match against Louisa Chirico at the Hong Kong Open on Thursday, dropping just one game to prevail 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
Kerber was leading Chirico 2-1 in the third set when the match was halted on Wednesday due to rain.
Second-seeded Venus Williams was defeated by Alize Cornet 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, while third-seeded Johanna Konta withdrew with an abdominal strain.
Konta's withdrawal puts her chances of qualifying for the season-ending WTA Finals in jeopardy. She is currently in the eighth and final spot in the standings for the WTA Finals in Singapore, but several players are still in contention.
Konta reached the China Open final last week and became the first British woman to crack the top 10 since Jo Durie in 1984.
Also, fifth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Heather Watson and eighth-seeded Daria Gavrilova defeated Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 7-5.