World No.3 Garbine Muguruza was sent packing from the Sydney Classic in the quarter-finals on Thursday by clinical Russian Daria Kasatkina, who continued her strong start to the season ahead of the Australian Open. 

Muguruza had a first-round bye then had to battle hard to topple 40th-ranked Ekaterina Alexandrova, before crashing to Kastakina 4-6, 4-6.