Voegele did not make the ideal start, dropping serve in the opening game, but from then on she was almost flawless, taking the next six games without reply.
At the start of the second set, Voegele afforded Cirstea a brief respite in the shape of a comfortable hold, before completing her 6-1, 6-1 triumph with another run of six straight games. Cirstea is the sixth seed to fall this week, and leaves WTA Rising Star Elina Svitolina as the highest-ranked player left in the draw. Svitolina, who picked up the title 12 months ago, overcame Sílvia Soler-Espinosa, 7-5, 6-2, to extend her winning run in Baku to seven matches. Also securing a quarterfinal berth was Kristina Mladenovic, who recovered from a stuttering start to emerge victorious from her battle with fellow WTA Rising Star Donna Vekic, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. Meeting her next will be former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, after she saw off the challenge of Julia Glushko, 6-2, 7-6(2).
Schiavone turned 34 last month, but has proved this week that she is far from a spent force. Against Glushko she came racing out of the blocks, breaking immediately before repeating the trick six games later to take the set. The second set was a closer affair, with Glushko's more adventurous approach rewarded with a 3-0 lead. This did not deter the Italian, who clawed her way back before upping her game to pinch it on a tie-break.
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