Kristina Mladenovic battled past top-seeded favourite Garbine Muguruza after two tie-breaks with 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (8-6) to get through to the quarter finals in Marrakesh.
Muguruza got a double break but Mladenovic clawed her way into the match by drawing level to 4-4. Muguruza earned a break point chance for 6-5 which would have enabled her to serve for the match but Mladenovic saved it. The French player stormed out to 5-1 in the tie-break. Muguruza recovered from the deficit but Mladenovic clinched the first set with 7-4. After a hard-fought tie-break in the second set Mladenovic held off Muguruza with 8-6.
Swiss Timea Bacsinsky broke serve five times in her 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 against Tatjiana Maria to set up a quarter final match against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Flavia Pennetta fended off 16 of the 21 break point chances she faced to fight back from a set down to edge World Number 145 Laura Siegemind with 4-6 6-1 6.3. The two players broke a total of 12 breaks and earned 36 break point chances.
Pennetta dropped her two first service games after committing many unforced errors to trail 0-4. Pennetta clawed her way intp the match for 3-4. Siegemund had the chance to get the double break but Pennetta saved it to draw levl to 4-4. The German broke serve after a hard-fought set before clinching the set on her second match point. Pennetta will take on Hungarian Babos who overcame Brazilian Pereira 6-0 6-7 (5-7) 6-4. Elina Svitolina knocked out Christina McHale with 7-5 6-3
