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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 6:37 a.m., Thursday, March 6, 2008

Tennis: V. Williams, Jankovic reach Bangalore quarters

By SATHISH PAUL
Associated Press Writer

BANGALORE, India — Venus Williams and Jelena Jankovic reached the quarterfinals of the Bangalore Open today.

Williams struggled past Peng Shuai 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-2, and Jankovic defeated Sanda Mamic 6-2, 6-2. Williams wasted two match points in the tiebreaker, and then lost the second set with one of her 15 double-faults.

"It's past. You have to go on. I got to hit a lot of balls and that is good," Williams said. "She played well, but I had the upper hand."

Williams had another match point in the third set before she won when Peng hit a volley out.

The seventh-ranked American will face Vera Zvonareva, who beat Agnes Szatmari 7-6 (5), 6-1.

"Venus is going to have a tough match," Zvonareva said. "I will be prepared and hope to raise the level of my game."

Zvonareva was broken in the opening game, but she broke back in the eighth and won the tiebreaker.

"I could have played better," said the seventh-seeded Zvonareva. "I didn't serve too well and I was trying to hit the ball too hard. I am not happy with the way I constructed my points."

In the second set, Zvonareva took a 5-0 lead, breaking Szatmari in the second and fourth games.

Zi Yan also advanced to the quarterfinals, defeating Olga Savchuk 6-2, 6-1.