Garbine Muguruza, Klara Zakopalova advance at Florianopolis

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Garbine Muguruza gained the quarterfinals and No. 3 Klara Zakopalova posted a first-round victory Tuesday at the Brasil Tennis Cup.

Venezuela's Muguruza, who notched her first-ever WTA Tour win at Hobart last month, blew past South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers 6-2, 6-1 in less than an hour at Florianopolis.

Third-seeded Czech Zakopalova, meanwhile, advanced to the second round with a with 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Donna Vekic.

Also making the quarterfinals were sixth-seeded Romanian Alexandra Cadantu, who topped German Dinah Pfizenmaier 6-2, 6-3, and Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova, winner of a 6-2, 7-5 decision over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic.