GOLD COAST (Australia), Jan 2: Amelie Mauresmo continued her preparations for this month’s Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-4 win over fellow Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy to reach the last eight of the Australian Hardcourt Championships on Wednesday.
The former world No 1, playing in her first tournament since October after suffering a shoulder injury, was too strong for Dechy throughout as the sixth seed set up a quarter-final clash with Patty Schnyder of Switzerland.
Fourth seed Schnyder, the champion in 1999 and 2005, recovered from a slow start to beat Italian Francesca Schiavone 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Top seed Nicole Vaidisova continued her bid for a first WTA Tour title in 18 months with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Tatjana Malek of Germany.
Defending champion Dinara Safina of Russia battled into the last eight with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory over another Italian, Flavia Pennetta.
Second-round results on Wednesday (prefix number denotes seeding): Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) bt Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 7-5, 6-1; 1-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) bt Tatjana Malek (Germany) 6-4, 6-2; Li Na (China) bt Monique Adamczak (Australia) 6-3, 6-2; 6-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-3, 6-4; 4-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; 3-Dinara Safina (Russia) bt Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; 5-Shahar Peer (Israel) bt Julia Schruff (Germany) 6-0 – Schruff retired
AUCKLAND CLASSIC
AUCKLAND: Former world No 1 Lindsay Davenport overcame a mid-match concentration lapse before claiming her place in the quarter-finals of the Auckland Classic on Wednesday.
The American beat fifth seed Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-1, 4-6, 6-0.
Top seed Vera Zvonareva, the runner-up in each of the past two years, had no trouble booking her quarter-final berth, beating Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden 6-2, 6-3.
She will now play local wildcard Marina Erakovic, who reached her first WTA Tour quarter-final with a 7-6, 7-5 win over American Ashley Harkleroad.
Russian second seed Maria Kirilenko, third seed Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia and No 6 Tamira Paszek also advanced.
However, seventh seed Eleni Daniilidou of Greece suffered a shock defeat by Aravane Rezai of France.
Second-round results on Wednesday: Sara Errani (Italy) bt Pauline Parmentier (France) 6-1, 6-2; 2-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-1; 3-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) bt Yvonne Meusburger (Austria) 6-0, 6-1; Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt Ashley Harkleroad (US) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5; Aravane Rezai (France) bt 7-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 7-5, 6-4; Lindsay Davenport (US) bt 5-Anabel Medina (Spain) 6-1, 4-6, 6-0; 1-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) bt Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-2, 6-3; 6-Tamira Paszek (Austria) bt Camille Pin (France) 6-2, 6-3.
MATHIEU ADVANCES
ADELAIDE: Second seed Paul-Henri Mathieu fended off big-serving Australian Chris Guccione 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International on Wednesday.
Frenchman Mathieu looked in real trouble when he lost the first set to Guccione, who hammered a total of 24 aces.
But Mathieu bounced back to set up a clash with Australian wildcard entry Joseph Sirianni, who had won only one ATP Tour match before this week before upsetting American Sam Querrey 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.
Second-round results: 2-Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) bt Chris Guccione (Australia) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Michael Llodra (France) bt Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; Benjamin Becker (Germany) bt Michael Russell (US) 6-4, 6-4; Joseph Sirianni (Australia) bt Sam Querrey (US) 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-3.—Reuters
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