Azarenka, Sharapova advance at French Open

PARIS, May 28 (UPI) -- Victoria Azarenka of Belarus stayed hot and former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova cruised to a win Saturday in third-round action at the French Open in Paris.

The fourth-seeded Azarenka ousted Italy's Roberta Vinci in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 and will now go on to meet Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, who upset 16th- seeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 7-5.

Azarenka has been on a hot streak this spring with two victories in her three finals appearances.

Sharapova, meanwhile, had little trouble with Taipei's Yung-Jan Chan, dispatching her 6-2, 6-3 at Stade Roland Garros.

The seventh-seeded Russian, who is looking for her first French Open title, will face Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the Round of 16.

Sixth-seeded Li Na of China and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic also advanced and will meet in the next round of the clay-court Grand Slam event.

Li needed about 1 hour to dispatch Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-2, 6-2. She will next face ninth-seeded Kvitova, who downed Vania King, the last of the U.S. competitors, 6-4, 6-2.