Errani cruises into quarterfinals

Top-seeded Sara Errani beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova at the Italiacom Open again, this time to reach the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Errani won 6-3, 6-2, a year after beating Zahlavova Strycova in the final for her second Palermo title.

Errani will next face seventh-seeded Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain, who advanced after Croatian opponent Mirjana Lucic-Baroni retired while trailing 6-2, 1-0.

Five-time winner Anabel Medina Garrigues was knocked out 6-1, 6-1 by Dinah Pfizenmaier of Germany.

Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic also won her second-round match against local wild card Corinna Dentoni 7-5, 6-1.

In the only first-round match, third-seeded Kristina Mladenovic of France saved six set points on her way to a 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory over Portuguese qualifier Maria Joao Koehler.