Shenzhen Open: Halep, Zvonareva advance to quarterfinals

Top seed Simona Halep cruised into the quarterfinals of Shenzhen Open by defeating Russian wild card Natalia Vikhlyantseva 6-2, 6-2 in the second round on Wednesday.

Halep, last year's French Open finalist, will meet Aleksandra Krunic after the Serbian qualifier came back from 6-3, 5-2 down to beat Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1. Krunic saved six match points.

Vera Zvonareva, who ousted third-seeded Peng Shuai in the first round, continued her fine form when she beat Cagla Buyukakcay of Turkey 6-3, 7-6 (5), winning five of the last six games.

Zvonareva, a 12-time winner on tour and two-time Grand Slam finalist, lined up Timea Bacsinszky in her first quarterfinal in almost three years.

No. 8 seed Bacsinszky had few problems in dispatching Karin Knapp of Italy 7-5, 6-2.

Tereza Smitkova booked her quarterfinal against fellow Czech and second seed Petra Kvitova by defeating another compatriot Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.