Defending champ advances in Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain, April 15 (UPI) -- Defending champion Maria Kirilenko reached the third round of the Barcelona Ladies Open Wednesday with a straight-sets win over Severine Bremond.

Kirilenko, seeded sixth in this year's event, disposed of Bremond 7-5, 6-2, and then saw her road to another championship grow easier when second-seeded Flavia Pennetta fell to Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-2.

Kirilenko will meet Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the quarterfinals Friday. Those two were the finalists in this tournament last year.

In other second-round action, Anastasiya Yakimova defeated Magdalena Rybarikova 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 and Martinez Sanchez fought off Masa Zec Peskiric 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. Yakimova will face Vinci in the quarterfinals.