Kuznetsova, Safina advance at rain-hit WTA event

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

MONTREAL (AFP) — Russian seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina advanced to a quarter-final meeting at a 1.34 million-dollar WTA hardcourt tournament with victories here Thursday before rain halted play.

Fourth seed Kuznetsova defeated Portugal's Michelle Larcher de Brito 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 while seventh seed Dinara Safina defeated Swiss ninth seed Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-2.

Another top Russian player, sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze, was on the verge of advancing, leading French 10th seed Marion Bartoli (FRA x10) 6-4, 5-4 when showers struck.

Nadia Petrova could not join her compatriots in the final eight, the 12th seed falling to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.

Cibulkova could be Friday's opponent for second-ranked Serbian Jelena Jankovic,...