MASON, Ohio, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Vera Zvonareva, seeded second and a former champion of this event, breezed into the quarterfinals Thursday at the Western & Southern Open.
Zvonareva defeated Petra Martic 6-2, 6-3, recording six service breaks and setting up a quarterfinal meeting with Daniela Hantuchova.
Hantuchova outbattled Marion Bartoli 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
The tournament has reached the quarterfinal stage without top seed Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams, who had been trying for her third straight championship.
Wozniacki lost in the opening round for the second straight week and Williams pulled out of her second-round match against Samantha Stosur with a foot injury.
Stosur moved on Thursday by defeating Li Na in the third round 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Maria Sharapova will be Stosur's quarterfinal opponent after eliminating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3.
The other quarterfinals will find Nadia Petrova meeting Andrea Petkovic and Peng Shuai taking on Jelena Jankovic.
