Kuznetsova advances at Sydney trournament

SYDNEY, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Svetlana Kuznetsova won a straight-set victory Tuesday in second-round play at the $600,000 Medibank International tennis tournament in Sydney.

The tournament's top seeds all advanced out of the second round Tuesday with Kuznetsova appearing strong in a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Shahar Peer.

Top-seeded Justine Henin advanced without playing when Lucie Safarova withdrew with a muscle strain. Third-seeded Jelena Jankovic needed three sets to defeat Tatiana Golovin 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 and No. 4-seeded Ana Ivanovic stopped Virginie Razzano 6-1, 2-6, 7-5.

Lower seeded players didn't fare as well with sixth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova losing 6-4, 6-2 to Nicole Vaidisova and seventh-seeded Marion Bartoli dropping a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 match to Francesca Schiavone. Also Kaia Kanepi defeated Sofia Arvidsson 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and Katarina Srebotnik beat Sybille Bammer 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday.

Wednesday's quarterfinals have Henin playing Kanepi, Kuznetsova meeting Schiavone, Jankovic going against Vaidisova and Ivanovic facing Srebotnik.