INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 13 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia cruised past Romanian Simona Halep 6-3, 6-4 Monday to advance to the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.
After a quick start, the former world No. 1 broke serve twice and easily outpaced her opponent for the victory.
Sharapova goes on to face Italian Roberta Vinci, who rallied from 4-2 down in the third set to upset No.16 seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-4.
No. 6 seed Samantha Stosur fell to 30th-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova in a 6-1, 6-7(6), 7-6(5) upset. Petrova used 15 aces in the victory.
Fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, a former world No. 1, needed three sets to get past Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 5-7. 6-2 in a Monday evening match.
Also logging wins in fourth-round action were No.7 seed Marion Bartoli of France, who routed South African Chanelle Scheepers 6-2, 6-0; 20th-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko, who outlasted Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; and No.23 seed Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, who took the first set against 10th-seeded Francesca Schiavone 6-2 before the Italian retired due to illness.
