Ana Ivanovic has earned the chance to avenge her Cincinnati Open final defeat to Serena Williams by beating Sloane Stephens to book a quarter-final date with the world number one.
She battled back from a set down to win 2-6 6-4 6-1 in just over two hours tonight as a showdown with Williams - who beat her to clinch the title 12 months ago - looms.
World number 30 Stephens looked hungry to defy the odds against the ninth seed as she inflicted two breaks of serve en route to a 4-0 lead, which proved enough daylight to clinch a first-set lead.
The second set proved markedly less one-sided as the pair held their respective serve to sit deadlocked at four games apiece, but Ivanovic won on her service before breaking in timely fashion to level up the match.
Ivanovic then fired a warning to Williams with a third-set rout, breaking Stephens's service twice en route to an emphatic victory in the decider.
Williams beat the Serbian 6-4 6-1 last year.
Shane Callaghan
