GOLD COAST, Australia, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Second seed and defending champion Justine Henin of Belgium needed three sets Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinals while No. 4 Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States was not as lucky at the Australian Women's Hardcourt Championship.
Also struggling but managing to get by was seventh seed Daja Bedanova of the Czech Republic, who saved a match point against South African Joannette Kruger.
Henin rallied for a 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia; Russia's Nadia Petrova upended Shaughnessy, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; and Bedanova rallied from 2-5 in the second set to defeat Kruger, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Even eighth seed and 1998 champion Ai Sugiyama of Japan endured a test before prevailing, 7-5, 6-3, over Anastasia Myskina of Russia.
Henin had a breakout season last year, starting with this event. It began a stretch of 13 consecutive match victories that brought her another title in Canberra, Australia and did not end until she fell to Monica Seles in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The 19-year-old Henin also captured the Heineken Trophy and reached her first career Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. She and Kim Clijsters teamed to bring Belgium its first Federation Cup in November.
Tina Pisnik of Slovakia beat 1997 winner Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, 6-3, 6-4, in an unseeded second-round encounter and fifth seed Silvia Farina Elia of Italy got past Emilie Loit of France, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Korean qualifier Yoon Jeong Cho eased by Kazakstan's Irina Selyutina, 6-2, 6-4, to wrap up the first round.
