September 21, 2006	Thursday	Sha'aban 27, 1427

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BEIJING, Sept 20: China's Peng Shuai outlasted Russia's defending champion Maria Kirilenko 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open. Eighth seed Kirilenko, who played her first-round match on Tuesday evening, was beaten for the first time in seven contests at the Beijing Tennis Centre.

Peng, one of four Chinese to reach the second round at the $600,000 tournament, was edged out in the first set but broke the 19-year-old Russian early in the second and never looked back.

The world No 60 booked a spot in the last eight when Kirilenko double-faulted for the 10th time after two hours and 33 minutes and she will next meet Ai Sugiyama after the Japanese upset Czech world number 10 Nicole Vaidisova, seeded fourth here, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

Second seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova received a bye in the second round and went through to the quarter-finals when Croatian qualifier Jelena Kostanic retired in the third game of their contest.

France's Marion Bartoli, runner up to Kuznetsova in Bali last week, reached the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues.

American fifth seed and former world No 1 Lindsay Davenport struggled to a 7-6, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Russian Anna Chakvetadze to set up a second round appointment with China's Zheng Jie.

Results:

Second round: Ai Sugiyama (Japan) beat 4-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; Shuai Peng (China) beat 8-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

First round: 5-Lindsay Davenport (US) beat Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 7-5; Marion Bartoli (France) beat Anabel Medina (Spain) 6-3, 6-3; Peng beat Catalina Castano (Colombia) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; Tiantian Sun (China) beat Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2; 6-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Lourdes Dominguez (Spain) 6-0, 6-1; Elena Vesnina (Russia) beat Emma Laine (Finland) 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-3; Kirilenko beat Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3; Jie Zheng (China) beat Jill Craybas (US) 6-4, 6-3; 7-Na Li (China) beat Vera Dushevina (Russia) 6-3, 6-4; Ai Sugiyama (Japan) beat Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2); Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) beat Zi Yan (China) 7-5, 6-2; Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-4, 6-1.—Reuters