Thu Sep 25 10:27:50 2008

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Kirilenko rolls into Seoul quarters

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Seoul, Korea (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Maria Kirilenko highlighted Thursday's second-round winners at the $145,000 hardcourt Korea Open.

The 2007 Seoul runner-up leveled Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-3 on Day 4 at the Olympic Tennis Courts. The Russian Kirilenko lost to American star Venus Williams in last year's finale here.

Kirilenko's quarterfinal opponent on Friday will be fifth-seeded Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier, a 6-3, 6-2 victor over Canadian qualifier Stephanie Dubois.

In other second-round play, third-seeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi crushed Russian qualifier Anastasia Pivovarova 6-1, 6-1 and Belgian Yanina Wickmayer upended eighth-seeded Yung-Jan Chan of Taipei 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).

Friday's other quarters will pit second-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer versus American Jill Craybas, Kanepi against Wickmayer and Aussie Samantha Stosur versus Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

The 2008 Seoul champion will claim $22,900.