Veterans Pascual, Molik survive; Chinese players struggle
GUANGZHOU, China -- Tour veterans Virginia Ruano Pascual and Alicia Molik breezed into the quarterfinals of the Guangzhou International Open on Thursday.
Top-seed Anabel Medina Garrigues also reached the last eight, defeating Jelena Kostanic Tosicbut 6-2, 6-2, but home favorite and No. 3 seed Peng Shuai was a casualty on a bad day for Chinese players.
Ruano Pascual beat No. 6 seed Olga Govortsova 6-1, 6-2, and will meet Russian Anastasia Rodionova, who rallied to down France's Camille Pin 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Molik, a former world top-10 player, downed American qualifier Julie Ditty, 6-3, 6-2. Molik will play fourth seed Dominika Cibulkova, who dispatched China's Song Shanshan 6-1, 6-2.
Peng Shuai lost to Israel's Tzipora Obziler, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
All four Chinese players fell in the second round, including Sun Tiantian's 6-0, 6-0 loss to No. 2 seed Virginie Razzano of France.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
