Sharapova advances to Stuttgart quarterfinals

Russia’s Maria Sharapova serves the ball to Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova during their match at the WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Southwestern Germany, on April 24, 2014. AFP PHOTO / THOMAS KIENZLE

STUTTGART, Germany  — Defending champion Maria Sharapova defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday to set up a Porsche Grand Prix quarterfinal with top seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

The sixth-seeded Sharapova needed a little over an hour and a half to defeat her fellow Russian, keeping alive her dream of winning the tournament for the third year in a row.

Polish world No. 3 Radwanska was rarely troubled in wrapping up her 6-3, 6-2 win over Italy’s Roberta Vinci.

Fifth seed Jelena Jankovic rallied after losing the first set to beat Flavia Pennetta of Italy 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 for a quarterfinal place against Alisa Kleybanova, who upset the third-seeded Petra Kvitova on Wednesday.

Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic also lost her first set against German wild card Julia Goerges, but recovered to prevail 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

The last remaining German in the tournament, the fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber, was playing Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain late Thursday.

Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia was scheduled to take on second seed Simona Halep of Romania, also late, with the winner facing Ivanovic in the quarterfinals.

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