Beijing, China (Sports Network) - Second seed Maria Sharapova and
reigning champion Agnieszka Radwanska were a pair of winners Wednesday
at the $4.8 million China Open tennis event.
The former world No. 1 Sharapova posted a 78-minute 6-2, 6-2 second-round
victory over Romanian Sorana Cirstea, while the third-seeded Radwanska
overcame Spanish qualifier Lourdes Dominguez Lino 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the third
round to reach the quarterfinals on the hardcourts at the National Tennis
Centre.
The 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Radwanska beat German Andrea Petkovic in
last year's Beijing finale and was a runner-up here in 2009. Radwanska was
a runner-up in Tokyo last week.
In some other third-round action involving seeds, No. 9 Marion Bartoli of
France topped German Julia Goerges 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) and Swiss Romina Oprandi
upended No. 11 Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-3. Bartoli will meet Spaniard Carla Suarez
Navarro in the quarterfinals.
Also on Day 5, Suarez Navarro doused Ivanovic's fellow former world No. 1 from
Serbia Jelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-4 in the third round and Slovenian qualifier
Polona Hercog outlasted Russian Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (7-5), 3-6,
7-6 (7-3) in a second-rounder. Jankovic was the China Open champ in 2008 and
runner-up in 2007.
In more third-round action on Thursday, world No. 1 Australian Open champion
and U.S. Open runner-up Victoria Azarenka will face Russian Elena Vesnina;
the French Open champion Sharapova will encounter Hercog; fifth-seeded German
Angelique Kerber will battle 10th-seeded former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki; and
seventh-seeded Li Na will tangle with fellow Chinese Peng Shuai. Wozniacki was
the Beijing champion two years ago, and titled in Seoul two weeks ago.
The 2012 China Open titlist will collect $848,000.
The Sports Network