Defending champion Osaka progresses at Indian Wells

Naomi Osaka continued the defence of her BNP Paribas Open crown at Indian Wells with a straight-sets victory over Danielle Collins.

Osaka, the current world number one, took less than 90 minutes to defeat the Australian Open semi-finalist 6-4 6-2 and will face Belinda Bencic for a spot in the last eight.

A pair of breaks at 1-1 and 4-4 were enough to see Osaka take the first set with the Japanese helping herself to the win after taking five consecutive games in the second.

Bencic will be slightly fresher going into the match-up with Osaka after defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 6-2 in just over an hour.

Joining them in the last 16 are Venus Williams who beat fellow American Christina McHale 6-2 7-5, while Mona Barthel caused an upset as the won the all-German tie against Julia Goerges 7-5 1-6 6-4.

Number eight seed Angelique Kerber toiled to a 3-6 6-1 6-1 win over qualifier Natalia Vikhlyantseva, Karolina Pliskova saw off Ysaline Bonaventure 6-3 6-2 and number nine seed Aryna Sablenka is safely through after beating Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 7-5.

Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, seeded 11th, followed Serena Williams in retiring with a virus when she was trailing 5-0 in the first set to Anett Kontaveit.