Spanish player Gabrine Muguruza serves a ball during round 3 of women's single at WTA Wuhan Open on Sept 27, 2017 in Wuhan, China. [Photo/Xinhua]

Gabrine Muguruza is also through to the quarterfinals with a three-set win over Polish qualifier Magda Linette, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

Muguruza displayed an aggressive backhand that allowed her to seize control of the first set, but the second was a much tenser affair as Linette adeptly moved around the court and answered her opponents shots.

"I think the second set I didn't play well. I did way too many mistakes. I was playing perfect for her. I think she increase her level. You know, she found a way to right away put her in control. That's what happened," Muguruza said after the match.

Although Linette put up enough of a fight to make her Spanish opponent fight for it in the third, in the end she was unable to overcome Muguruza's powerful backhand and ceded the last set 6-4.

Muguruza has set up a quarterfinal clash with Jelena Ostapenko, who earlier in the day ousted Puerto Rican qualifier Monica Puig in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 showdown that almost saw Ostapenko knocked off her balance several times in the hard-fought second set.

In other action, an all-Russian showdown saw Ekaterina Makarova take out Daria Kasatkina in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.

Makarova goes on to meet France's Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals, who stunned yet another top player in a 6-3, 7-5 win over 7th-seed Dominika Cibulková.

France's Alize Cornet eliminated Varvara Lepchenko of the United States, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Cornet set up a clash with Greek Maria Sakkari, who edged Elena Vesnina of the Czech Republic a nail-biter, 7-6 (6), 7-5.