Sharapova, V. Williams make easy through to quarters
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-09-23 09:15

BEIJING, September 22 (Xinhua) -- Top seed Maria Sharapova and third-seeded Venus Williams, separately nipped their opponents in a comfortable way en route to the quarterfinals at the China Open of WTA tournament here on Thursday.

Maria Sharapova of Russia waves to spectators as she celebrates her win over Israel's Shahar Peer during their women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing September 22, 2005. Sharapova beat Peer 6-0 5-7 6-2. [Reuters]

All the berths for the quarters have been decided after Thursday's competition.

Shahar Peer broke Maria Sharapova thrice to destroy an otherwise perfect opener at China Open for the world number one Russian, who re-topped the WTA Tour Ranking board after the U.S. Open. Sharapova cracked 26 winners against 21 unforced errors to beat Peer 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in two hours.

The 19-year-old sensation, however, still proved herself too powerful for her first match opponent at the event as she claimed the win with breaking the Israeli thrice in the first set and taking it without losing a game.

The second set went on with a theme of breaking and being broken. Peer was broken twice in the sixth and tenth games, but the Israeli broke back thrice in the fifth, ninth and eleventh to pull back one set.

Again in the decider, the Russian teenager found back her form to break Peer twice for win.

With this victory, Sharapova improved her win-lose record of this year to 49-8 while that of career on 170-42.

The former French Open champion, who claimed her first ever career Grand Slam title at Roland Garros 15 months ago, will next meet the 39-ranked Japanese Shinobu Asagoe who breezed past Jill Craybas from the United States 6-2, 6-4 earlier on Thursday.

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