STANFORD, Calif. (AP) -- The biggest names in a largely anonymous field are still alive in the Bank of the West Classic.
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| Patty Schnyder 225 wide |
Patty Schnyder, Nicole Vaidisova and Anna-Lena Groenefeld had straight-set victories Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament on Stanford's campus.
Unseeded Vera Zvonareva, last week's surprise winner in Cincinnati, also advanced with a 7-6 (5), 6-0 victory over Nathalie Dechy.
After top-seeded Kim Clijsters' victory Wednesday night, the tournament's top four seeds are all in the quarterfinals. Though the event lacks much star power, the remaining players behind three-time Bank of the West champ Clijsters are excited by the chance to make their own reputations.
Schnyder, the tournament's second seed, beat qualifier Akiko Morigami 6-1, 6-4. The Swiss star is the WTA's eighth-ranked player, but she still hasn't won a tournament this season, reaching just one final.
"On these fast surfaces, it's really important to move well and get a high percentage of your first serves in," Schnyder said. "Today was all about winning and getting to the next round."
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| Anna-Lena Groenefeld 225 wide |
Groenefeld, the No. 4 seed, beat Vasilisa Bardina 6-3, 7-5.
Third-seeded Vaidisova, the 17-year-old French Open semifinalist, completed the quarterfinal field with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Sybille Bammer in the featured late match. Though Vaidisova's focus wandered in the second set, the Czech's smooth groundstrokes were too much for her Austrian opponent.
"She's been a pretty tough player the last couple of months, so I feel good about that," Vaidisova said. "I stayed in control and changed the pace up."
Schnyder will face Jill Craybas on Friday, while Groenefeld will meet France's Tatiana Golovin. Vaidisova will face Samantha Stosur in a rematch of Vaidisova's entertaining three-set victory in the Sydney tournament before the Australian Open.
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| Vera Zvonarava 225 wide |
Zvonareva rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the first-set tiebreaker to beat Dechy. The 21-year-old Russian faces Clijsters in the quarterfinals.
"I played her at Wimbledon in the first round, (and) it was not an easy match," Zvonareva said. "We all know she's a great player. We all get to watch her a lot, because she' one of the best."