China's Zhang Shuai advanced to the second round of the Western & Southern Open after knocking out Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-4 in Cincinnati on Wednesday.
This is the first time that Zhang, 33, has reached the last 16 in Cincinnati, with her live ranking rising to 39th.
"I am happy to win today's match because my opponent was very strong and it was tough every time I played against her in the past," said Zhang, who was eliminated by Alexandrova in April's Stuttgart Open.
"I'm satisfied with my performance today because I saw myself improve in many aspects," she added.
Zhang will next face second-seeded Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, who defeated the Czech Republic's Tereza Martincova 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
