Madrid Open 2017
Bouchard stuns Sharapova to set up Kerber clash, Pliskova out
Criticism from Eugenie Bouchard must have still been ringing in Maria Sharapova's ears, but she was unable to respond with a win in Madrid.
Eugenie Bouchard beat Maria Sharapova for the first time in her career soon after calling the former world number one a "cheater" to set up a meeting with Angelique Kerber, while Anastasija Sevastova shocked Karolina Pliskova at the Madrid Open.
Bouchard's 'cheater' defeated
Bouchard recently stated that she believes Sharapova's tennis career should have been over when she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open last year.
All eyes were on the Spanish capital when the two met less than a fortnight after that candid interview with the 2014 Wimbledon runner-up, who raised her game to defeat the former world number one 7-5 2-6 6-4 in a second-round thriller.
Kerber through and tops rankings
Top seed Kerber earlier made hard work of seeing off Katerina Siniakova 6-2 1-6 7-5 to ensure she will return to the top of the rankings in the absence of the pregnant Serena Williams, but second seed Pliskova went down 6-3 6-3 to the 22-ranked Latvian Sevastova.