Elina Svitolina cruises into Taiwan Open quarterfinals

Top-seeded Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine advanced to the quarterfinals with a straight-set victory at the Taiwan Open in Taipei City on Thursday.

Svitolina withstood a tough challenge from qualifier Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic before prevailing 6-4, 7-5.

"It was a solid performance, actually. I was serving really, really well today," Svitolina said after the match. "Of course, I was expecting myself to be a little bit up and down. But in the end, I was very solid."

Svitolina fought off six break points in the opening set, but Hradecka saved four match points in the second set before the No. 1 seed won the final two games.

"Lucie was playing really good so I was trying to wait for my chances, and earn them as well. I think I did pretty good," said Svitolina, who has been battling the flu and was relieved to avoid a third set.

Second-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur joined Svitolina in the quarterfinals by rallying for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Slovenian qualifier Dalila Jakupovic.

"I didn't feel like I was playing too bad, because I had lots of chances to win many of the games," Stosur said. "By the third set, I feel like I was playing my best tennis."

Next up for Stosur is China's Peng Shuai, who breezed to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over No. 5 seed Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

China's Lin Zhu needed three sets to reach the quarters, dispatching Japan's Kurumi Nara 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.