Top seeds advance at Bogota tennis

BOGOTA, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Tathiana Garbin claimed a straight-set victory and advanced to the quarterfinals of the $175,000 Copa Colsanitas Santander tournament in Colombia.

Six of the eight seeded players qualified for Friday's quarterfinals, with Garbin leading the way with a 6-3, 6-0 victory Thursday over Jorgelina Cravero. Second-seeded Flavia Pennetta defeated Mariana Duque Marino, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2, and No. 3 Lourdes Dominguez Lino beat Greta Arn, 6-4, 6-3.

Dominguez Lino and Pennetta have met in the last two Copa Colsanitas finals, with Dominguez Lino winning in 2006 and Pennetta taking the 2005 event.

Eighth-seeded Hana Sromova was the only seeded player not to win Thursday, losing, 6-4, 6-3, to Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

Friday's quarterfinals pair Garbin against Zahlavova Strycova; Pennetta versus Nathalie Vierin; Dominguez Lino with seventh-seeded Klara Zakopalova and fourth-seeded Emilie Loit against No. 6 Roberta Vinci.

The tournament continues through Sunday, when the winner will claim $25,840.