Two multiple Grand Slam champions became the first 2021 Western & Southern Open quarterfinalists in contrasting fashion as Angelique Kerber came from 2-4 down in the third set to beat Jelena Ostapenko 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 and No.1 seed Ashleigh Barty dismissed defending champion Victoria Azarenka 6-0, 6-2.

Kerber had lost a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 thriller to Ostapenko in the third round of Rome in May, and a similar treat was swiftly promised to the Cincinnati fans when both players roared out of the gates, racking up winner after winner in the opening stages.

The German was outgunned by a free-wheeling Ostapenko, who ultimately tallied 49 frequently breathtaking winners to Kerber's 22. But former World No.1 Kerber played the scoreboard impeccably. A watertight second set in which she committed just two unforced errors enabled her to take the steam out of Ostapenko's momentum, and from 1-3 down in the third set Kerber managed to weather her opponent's wild oscillations and respond with aggression of her own.

Kerber's trademark forehand down the line garnered her winners on two crucial break points: down 1-3 in the decider and at 5-5, having failed to serve out the match at 5-4.

Turning point: Kerber got her first foothold in the third set when pegging Ostapenko back from 3-0 to 3-2. But the Latvian seemed undeterred, crushing four winners to break Kerber again for 4-2, and then saving triple break point to stand two points from 5-2. But at this juncture, disaster struck for the former Roland Garros champion. Consecutive double faults took her match tally to nine and undid all her hard work. From then on, Ostapenko's power was unreliable and Kerber in the ascendancy.

Game of the match: Ostapenko's no-holds-barred approach to tennis can often leave viewers reeling as well as opponents, such is the bravado of her hitting. That was most evident in the way she seized the first set at 5-4. Neither player had been broken to that point, but Ostapenko pounded seven clean winners in that one game, including four off the return, to capture the Kerber serve at the optimum moment. Indeed, two consecutive backhand return winners, lasered down the line, would be the final two points of the set.

Stat to note: Kerber had been halted in the third round of Cincinnati in three previous appearances - in 2013 (by Li Na), 2014 (by Caroline Wozniacki) and 2018 (by Madison Keys). But each time she got past that hurdle, Kerber reached the final, coming runner-up in 2012 (to Li) and 2016 (to Karolina Pliskova).

Quotable: "Australia where I was two weeks in the hard lockdown, that was not so easy. So I needed a little bit more time to make a, let's say, second preparation. The clay court season is never the best for me. I was waiting for the grass court season, but of course, winning Bad Homburg, then playing amazing in Wimbledon, that gives me a lot of confidence... I just try [to take] the flow with me and enjoy my tennis and try to improving myself, as well, on and off court. Playing again in front of fans means for me always a lot, because I need the energy for my game."
-Angelique Kerber on turning her season around.

What's next for Kerber: Another mouthwatering clash against either old rival Petra Kvitova, whom she first played in 2007, or Ons Jabeur. Kerber has beaten both in their most recent meeting this year - Jabeur in the Grampians Trophy in Melbourne in January, and Kvitova in the Bad Homburg semifinals in June.

Ruthless Barty inflicts heaviest defeat in 14 years on Azarenka

In March, an intriguing Miami quarterfinal seemed to be far more one-sided than most would have predicted as Barty raced to a 6-1 lead over Azarenka.

Back then, Azarenka roared back to make a real contest of it, only losing 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 in the end. Five months later, though, the Australian was even more ruthless. Barty fired 25 winners and broke Azarenka five times, needing only one hour and 11 minutes to wrap up a thoroughly dominant win.

Despite an 85% first serve percentage, Azarenka did not reach game point in a 26-minute whitewash first set - just the ninth bagel set the Belarusian has received in her professional career, and first since losing 6-0, 6-3 to Naomi Osaka at Rome 2018. Barty was able to control the flow of almost every baseline exchange, dragging Azarenka from line to corner with knifing slices and finely timed forehands.

Indeed, Barty would win the first 10 games of the match in this manner before Azarenka, taking her frustration out in powerful strikes, found an ace to hold serve. The closing stages of the match would feature some valiant fighting from the defending champion and some slightly more inconsistent play from Barty, but the gulf was too great to make up.

Though Azarenka staved off two match points at 1-5 to hold for a second time, another judicious approach shot sealed Barty's third in the next game.

Shot of the match: The way in which Barty brought up her second match point at 5-1 encapsulated the World No.1's touch and improv skills. Having been brought to net by an Azarenka dropshot, Barty seemed to be outdone by a pass that even her lightning reflexes couldn't volley. But, scurrying backwards, Barty somehow laid a racquet on the ball and flicked it crosscourt for a winning pass of her own.

Heaviest loss since 2007: There have only been two previous matches in Azarenka's career in which she has managed to only win two games. Both came in 2007, when she was 17 years old: a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Romina Oprandi in the first round of Amelia Island, and a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Karin Knapp in the first round of Roland Garros.

Barty racks up the bagels: Today's result featured the sixth 6-0 set Barty has won in 2021. This puts her season bagel total level with Daria Kasatkina and Barbora Krejcikova, one behind Ons Jabeur (7) and three behind Tour leader Garbiñe Muguruza (9).

Quotable: "Sometimes a scoreline in tennis can fool you. Even though it was quite a convincing scoreline, for most part of that match, there were crucial points within each and every game. I felt like I was able to win a lot of those big points today."
-Ashleigh Barty on why the match was closer than the scoreline suggests.

What's next for Barty: A rematch of the Wimbledon fourth round against Roland Garros champion Krejcikova, who defeated Muguruza 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2. Barty won their SW19 tilt 7-5, 6-3 en route to her second major crown.

Barty ruthless in dismissing defending champ Azarenka: Cincinnati Highlights