SYDNEY, Jan 13: Top-seeded Serena Williams and No 2 Dinara Safina made short work of their second-round opponents on Tuesday to move into the Sydney International quarter-finals.

Serena, who was stretched to three sets and saved four match points in her opening match against Samantha Stosur of Australia, beat Sara Errani of Italy 6-1, 6-2 in 50 minutes on Tuesday.

Her win at Ken Rosewall Arena, the centre court at the Olympic Park Tennis Centre, came moments after Safina finished off a 6-3, 6-0 win over fellow Russian Vera Dushevina in just over an hour on Court 1.

Errani was in trouble from the outset, challenging two line calls within eight minutes of the first set — and both went against her. Errani consulted with her coach after losing a third straight game and although she rallied at the beginning of the second set, the Italian seemed to lose her focus.

Four other seeded players in the women’s draw at the joint ATP-WTA tournament also advanced on Tuesday.

No 3 Elena Dementieva of Russia beat Jarmila Gajdosova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-4 and No 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia beat Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (3). Sixth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland defeated Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 7-5 and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, the eighth-seeded player, beat Britain’s Melanie South 6-2, 6-0.

Serena will play Wozniacki in the quarter-finals.

In another match, Japan’s Ai Sugiyama beat Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

In first-round men’s play, Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic defeated eighth-seeded Mardy Fish of the US 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Former No 1 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia continued his comeback from a five-month injury layoff to beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s:

First round: Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) bt Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) bt 8-Mardy Fish (US) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) bt Julien Benneteau (France) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4; Chris Guccione (Australia) bt 6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-4; Jeremy Chardy (France) bt Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-4, 3-0 retired; Richard Gasquet (France) bt Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

Women’s:

Second round: 8-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt Melanie South (Great Britain) 6-2, 6-0; 3-Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Jarmila Gajdosova (Slovakia) 6-2, 6-4; 6-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-3, 7-5; 2-Dinara Safina (Russia) bt Vera Dushevina (Russia) 6-3, 6-0; 1-Serena Williams (US) bt Sara Errani (Italy) 6-1, 6-2; Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2; 5-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3); Alize Cornet (France) bt Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

KOHLSCHREIBER

GIVES WARNING

AUCKLAND: Defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber overcame a shoulder injury to thrash in-form Dominik Hrbaty in a first-round singles match at the Auckland Open here on Tuesday.

The German thrashed Hrbaty 6-1, 6-2.

Results:

First round: 8-Juan Monaco (Argentina) bt Victor Hanescu (Romania) 6-3, 6-4; Marc Gicquel (France) bt Agustin Calleri (Argentina) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Bobby Reynolds (US) bt Oscar Hernandez (Spain) 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-2; Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) bt Marcel Granollers (Spain) 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1; John Isner (US) bt 7-Albert Montanes (Spain) 7-6(4), 7-5; Lu Yen-hsun (Taiwan) bt Steve Darcis (Belgium) 7-6(5), 6-2; Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) bt Florent Serra (France) 6-3, 6-4; 5-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) bt Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) 6-1, 6-2.—Agencies