Paris progress for Sharapova
Scheepers brushed aside, Niculescu or Kerber next up for Russian
Last Updated: February 8, 2012 9:14pm
Maria Sharapova: Russian saw off Chanelle Scheepers 6-3 6-1 in Paris
Top seed Maria Sharapova reached the quarter-finals of the Open GDF Suez in Paris with a straight-sets win over South African Chanelle Scheepers.
Sharapova took control by breaking Scheepers' serve for a 4-3 lead in the first set.
The Russian was untroubled thereafter, winning nine of the last 10 games to close out a 6-3 6-1 victory in 68 minutes.
Sharapova will play either Romania's Monica Niculescu or Angelique Kerber of Germany in the last eight.
Ace
In Wednesday's first-round matches, American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands finished off Kristina Barrois of Germany with her 10th ace to secure a 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 win.
Next up for Mattek-Sands is seventh-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci, who beat Simona Halep of Romania 6-4 6-4.
Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic and Niculescu of Romania also advanced, along with French wild card Pauline Parmentier and American teenager Christina McHale.
Parmentier jumped out to 3-0 in the final set and hit a backhand cross-court winner to edge eighth-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 2-6 6-3 6-3.
Niculescu outlasted Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia 6-1 4-6 6-4 in a match of 14 service breaks, while Zakopalova cruised past French wild card Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-1 by winning eight straight games to lead 5-0 in the second set.
McHale beat lucky loser Varvara Lepchenko 6-4, 7-5 in an all-American match and will face Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium.
Wickmayer led 6-1 in her first-round encounter when American veteran Jill Craybas retired because of a right leg injury.
