Baku, Azerbaijan (Sports Network) - Alexandra Panova of Russia and
Luxembourg's Mandy Minella were among the second-round winners Wednesday at
the Baku Cup tennis tournament.
The second-seeded Panova rallied for a 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 victory over
Poland's Sandra Zaniewska, while the third-seeded Minella also knocked out a
Polish player in Marta Domachowska with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph.
Panova, who reached her first WTA final earlier this year in Bogota, will next
face fellow Russian Nina Bratchikova in the quarterfinals. The sixth-seeded
Bratchikova won the first set against Estrella Cabeza Candela without a
dropping a game before the Spaniard retired because of an abdominal strain.
Minella will play in the quarterfinals for the second time in her last three
events. She was a semifinal loser to Yanina Wickmayer in Bad Gastein last
month and on Thursday will meet Russian Olga Puchkova, who advanced Wednesday
with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 win over Italy's Alberta Brianti.
Fifth-seeded Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia topped Russian qualifier Valeria
Solovieva, 6-2, 6-3, and will next take on countrywoman Aleksandra Krunic in
the quarterfinals. Krunic, who qualified for the main draw and knocked off
fourth-seeded Andrea Hlavackova in the first round, continued her run with a
7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win Wednesday over Spain's Laura Pous-Tio.
American Julia Cohen also reached the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-4 pounding
of Russian Alla Kudryavtseva and will next battle Slovakia's Magdalena
Rybarikova, who advanced with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of Thailand's Tamarine
Tanasugarn.
Rybarikova is the lone player among the final eight with a WTA Tour title. She
won in Memphis last year after claiming her first crown three years ago at the
Wimbledon tune-up in Birmingham.
The winner of this WTA International event will claim a first prize of
$37,000.
The Sports Network