Peng Shuai of China reached the quarterfinals of the Strasbourg International in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday after top-seeded Marion Bartoli retired while trailing 1-6, 0-1, with a right wrist injury.
Home favorite Bartoli won only 22 percent of the points on her second serve. Peng broke her three times, including the opening game of the second set.
Second-seeded Alona Bondarenko also won, beating Edina Gallovits of Romania 6-4, 6-4. The Ukrainian, who broke her opponent's serve five times, next plays Swiss Timea Bacsinszky, who beat Peng's compatriot Yan Zi, the eighth seed, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Fourth-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia also advanced to the last eight. Pennetta defeated Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, while Srebotnik advanced by beating Tatiana Perebiynis of Ukraine 7-6 (4), 6-0.
The claycourt tournament is a warmup for the French Open, which starts on Sunday.
In Istanbul, Turkey, sixth-seeded Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan upset third-seeded Nadia Petrova yesterday in the quarterfinals of the Istanbul Cup.
Amanmuradova beat the 25th-ranked Russian 7-6 (0), 1-6, 6-4 at this claycourt tournament.
Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland rallied to defeat Slovenia's Andreja Klepac 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.
In Poertschach, Austria, defending champion Juan Monaco beat Jiri Vanek of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-2 yesterday to reach the quarterfinals of the Hypo Group International.
The second-seeded Argentine had six aces and broke Vanek's serve five times. Monaco will face either American Robby Ginepri or Olivier Rochus of Belgium in the quarterfinals.
Igor Kunitsyn of Russia beat qualifier Blaz Kavcic 6-1, 6-4 and will play Juergen Melzer in the next round. The Austrian upset eighth- seeded Dutch man Robin Haase 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 yesterday.
In Casablanca, Morocco, Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Lamine Ouahab of Algeria 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Grand Prix Hassan II tournament.
The top-seeded Frenchman hit seven aces and broke his opponent's serve three times. It will be Tsonga's first quarterfinal since the Australian Open, where he lost to Serbian Novak Djokovic in the final.
He will next take on Santiago Ventura of Spain, who outlasted Rainer Schuettler of Germany 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily May 23, 2008)