Victoria Azarenka beats Johanna Konta to progress to Miami Open semi-finals

Belarusian Azarenka, who won the Indian Wells tournament earlier this month, saw off Konta’s quarter-final challenge in straight sets 6-4 6-2 to continue her fight for world-domination after a couple of seasons dogged by injury.

Konta – now ranked 23rd in the world having surged from 150th at the end of 2014 – looked an equal opponent, but was unable to capitalise on the opportunity to break Azarenka's powerful serve in the sixth game of the first set.

Though Konta held the first game of the second set, Azarenka finally broke the Brit’s serve in the third game, holding her next serve to take control of the set and to win in just over 90 minutes.

Azarenka will go on to play the winner of the match between Angelique Kerber and Madison Keys, which takes place later on Wednesday, in the semi-finals.