Peer reaches Korea Open quarterfinals

SEOUL, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- No. 2-seeded Shahar Peer advanced to the quarterfinals of the $145,000 Korea Open with a straight-set win Wednesday at the hard-court tournament in Seoul.

Peer had trouble defending her second serve -- losing 20 of the 25 points -- but managed to eke by with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Ayumi Morita.

She is to face Jill Craybas in Friday's quarterfinals. Craybas, coming off a first-round win in which she didn't lose a game, was solid again in a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 win over Akgul Amanmuradova.

Another quarterfinal pairing was set when Samantha Stosur defeated Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 and Ekaterina Makarova beat Klara Zakopalova 6-3, 6-2.

Thursday's schedule calls for four second-round matches, including top-seeded Maria Kirilenko meeting Lucie Safarova.

The tournament is set to wrap up Sunday when the 2008 Korea Open champion will win $22,900.