(CNN) -- Serena Williams avenged her 2011 U.S. Open final defeat to Samantha Stosur with a straight-sets win over the Australian sixth seed to reach the last eight of the WTA tournament in Miami Monday.
Williams went into the final at Flushing Meadows last year as a hot favorite to add to her tally of 13 grand titles, but was swept aside by a super-charged display from her opponent who was claiming her first.
Neither has enjoyed much success since, with Stosur's form falling away and Williams sidelined by injuries.
But the former world No. 1 is returning to her best at a hard-court tournament she has won five times, seeing off Stosur 7-5 6-3 in one hour 45 minutes in their last-16 match. The American converted four of 13 break-point opportunities to go 5-3 career against Stosur.
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The two-time Miami runner-up will next play Caroline Wozniacki, who beat Belgian 23rd seed Yanina Wickmayer 7-6 (8-6) 6-0.
The Dane's successor as world No. 1, Victoria Azarenka, pulled off an amazing comeback to reach the quarterfinals and extend her winning run to 26-0 this year -- the best start to a season since Martina Hingis went 37 matches unbeaten in 1997.
The Australian Open champion trailed 6-1 4-0 against Dominika Cibulkova before defeating the Slovakian 16th seed in three sets -- their last five meetings have gone the distance, with Azarenka winning four to be 7-1 overall.
"It kinda felt like she closed her eyes and just went for everything, and me, I couldn't open my eyes. I was blinded a little bit," Azarenka said after winning 1-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-5.
"But my coach came to the court, kicked me a little bit that I had to at least try to change something, because it was like a snowball, and I kept rolling with the same match and wasn't adjusting. In the end I was trying to change something. But it was more about fighting in my heart today rather than any other shot."
The Belorussian will next play French seventh seed Marion Bartoli, who beat Russian No. 22 Maria Kirilenko 6-1 6-2..
Second seed Maria Sharapova also went through to the last eight with a 6-4 7-6 win over fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova.
Sharapova, beaten by Azarenka in the Australian Open final, also saw off Makarova in straight sets in Melbourne.
The 2005 and 2006 Miami runner-up will next face China's French Open champion Li Na, who came from behind to beat German 12th seed Sabine Lisicki 3-6 6-4 6-2.
Three-time Miami champion Venus Williams continued her winning comeback from longterm illness, beating fellow former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-2.
The 2010 runner-up, who had beaten the Serbian 15th seed in seven of their previous eight meetings, will next face Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
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She began her glittering professional tennis career in 1994, at the tender age of 14.
In 1997, Williams became the first woman since Pam Shriver in 1978 to reach the final of her debut U.S. Open. She lost the showpiece match at Flushing Meadows 6-0 6-4 to Switzerland's Martina Hingis.
Williams won her first grand slam women's doubles title alongside younger sister Serena at the 1999 French Open. Venus claimed two mixed doubles titles in 1998, winning at the Australian Open and Roland Garros with compatriot Justin Gimelstob.
Williams' first grand slam singles title arrived in 2000, when she defeated Hingis after beating Serena in the semifinals. She claimed that year's doubles crown at the All England Club alongside Serena.
The Williams sisters met again in the Wimbeldon final of 2008, with Venus trumping her younger sibling once more. It remains the last grand singles won by Venus. The sisters have faced off on 23 occasions, with Serena leading 13-10. She also holds the edge in their grand slam final meetings by 6-2.
Williams has not played on the WTA Tour since pulling out of the U.S. Open in late August 2011, having been diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome. She did manage to beat Vesna Dolonts in the first round at Flushing Meadows, but withdrew ahead of her second-round clash with Sabine Lisicki.
As part of her bid to return to the WTA Tour, WIlliams played an exhibition match against Serena -- who has overcome health problems of her own -- in Colombia in November. Venus won 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
The veteran Bhupathi (R) has won a total of 11 grand slam titles during his career -- all in doubles. Three of his four men's crowns have come with compatriot Leander Paes, including Wimbledon in 1999.
Bhupathi, now 37, turned professional in 1995 and briefly played singles before focusing his attention on doubles.
Alongside their three grand slam titles, Bhupathi and Paes also struck gold in the men's doubles at the 2006 Asian Games, held in Qatar.
Bhupathi and Paes are household names in India but they can't quite match the fame that cricketer Sachin Tendulkar enjoys. Here the duo meet the highest runscorer in Test cricket -- known as the "Little Master" -- in 2002.
Bhupathi's 11 grand slam titles have come with a total of eight different partners. Here he celebrates his mixed doubles success at the 2006 Australian Open with former women's world No. 1 Martina Hingis of Switzerland.
Bhupathi teamed up with compatriot Rohan Bopanna (R) at the recent Australian Open, where they were defeated in the third round by Americans Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram.
Wrong sport Rory ! McIlroy addresses a tennis ball golf style with Maria Sharapova at the other end.
Golf ace Rory McIlroy shows he is a dab hand at tennis with a backhand return against Maria Sharapova.
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