04 February 2005	Friday	24 Zilhaj 1425

PATTAYA, Feb 3: Top seed Vera Zvonareva fired nine aces on her way to a 6-2 6-3 win over Germany's Anca Barna in the second round of the Thailand Open on Thursday.

Spain's Conchita Martinez won the last four games to defeat Croatia's Silvija Talaja 7-5 2-6 7-5 for her place in the quarterfinals.

Third seed Martinez struggled to establish any kind of rhythm or consistency. The 32-year-old twice had to recover a break of serve but she took the first set when Talaja hit her fourth double fault.

A forehand error from Martinez in the second set gave Talaja a 3-2 lead and the Croatian broke again to love for 5-2. Talaja failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the third and Martinez saved two break points at 5-5 before taking victory.

Russian Zvonareva's serve and forehand did the most damage against Barna but after breaking to a 4-1 lead in the second set the 20-year-old from Moscow suffered a scare when she lost the next eight points.

Eighth seed Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain beat Germany's Marlene Weingartner 1-6 6-1 6-4 and Israel's Shahar Peer defeated fellow qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova from Uzbekistan 6-4 6-2.

RESULTS (SECOND ROUND): Vera Zvonareva bt Anca Barna 6-2 6-3; Conchita Martinez bt Silvija Talaja 7-5 2-6 7-5; Virginia Ruano Pascual bt Marlene Weingartner 1-6 6-1 6-4; Shahar Peer bt Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) 6-4 6-2.

DAVENPORT WINS

TOKYO: World number one Lindsay Davenport began her quest for a record fifth Pan Pacific Open title with a comfortable 6-4 6-3 win over Japan's Saori Obata on Thursday. ussia's Elena Dementieva crushed Japan's Akiko Morigami 6-2 6-2 to join Davenport in Friday's quarterfinals.

Defending champion Davenport, beaten by Serena Williams in the Australian Open final last weekend, dropped her first two service games in Tokyo. he American uncharacteristically threw down her racket in disgust after squandering five set points at 5-3 in the first set. But she quickly recovered and went on to clinch victory with a pummelling cross-court backhand to reach the last eight of the $1.3 million event she won in 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2004. Davenport next plays Czech Iveta Benesova, who battled past Japan's Aiko Nakamura 3-6 7-5 6-4.

Fourth seed Dementieva had few problems against Morigami and will next face another Japanese player, Shinobu Asagoe, who overwhelmed Italy's Roberta Vinci 6-0 6-2. Dementieva lost two grand slam finals last year Anastasia Myskina in French Open and Svetlana Kuznetsova at the U.S. Open, but believes she could go one better this season.

Sixth seed Elena Likhovtseva battled past American Jill Craybas 7-5 4-6 6-2 to set up an all-Russian quarterfinal with Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova.

RESULTS (SECOND ROUND): Daniela Hantuchova bt Maria Kirilenko 4-6 6-0 6-2; Iveta Benesova bt Aiko Nakamura 3-6 7-5 6-4; Lindsay Davenport bt Saori Obata 6-4 6-3; Elena Likhovtseva bt Jill Craybas 7-5 4-6 6-2; Elena Dementieva bt Akiko Morigami 6-2 6-2. -Agencies