BERLIN, May 8: Top seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium battled her way through to the quarterfinals of the German Open with a 7-5 6-3 win over Colombia’s Fabiola Zuluaga on Thursday.

It was a good day for most of the other leading seeds and for Belgian tennis, with defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne crushing Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder 6-2 6-3.

World number three Clijsters was made to work hard by Zuluaga, who opened up a 5-2 lead in the first set and later survived three match points before bowing out on the fourth.

“I made some silly mistakes and I had to fight to turn it around,” said Clijsters, who underlined her determination by winning five games in a row and saving two set points to claim the first set before taking control in the second.

“She’s one of many girls out there playing really well and you have to be very fit to beat her,” the 19-year-old Belgian said of her 52nd-ranked opponent.

Clijsters — in Berlin to warm up for the French Open starting on May 26 — now meets seventh-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, who shrugged off a brave challenge from Swiss Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian for a 4-6 6-4 7-6 win.

Henin, who moved into the number two spot in the draw after Venus Williams pulled out of the tournament with a stomach injury, faces an intriguing test in the next round against Vera Zvonareva.

The 18-year-old Russian beat 12th seed Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 7-5 4-6 6-4 and has now won eight straight matches, all on clay, including a run to her first WTA title last week in Croatia.

Fourth seed Jennifer Capriati advanced to the last eight easily with a 6-2 6-3 win over France’s Nathalie Dechy.

The former world number one, playing her first tournament of the season on the red clay of Europe, needed no time to adapt to the slow surface.

“I can’t complain about the way I played,” the 27-year-old American said after setting up a quarterfinal against Russian Elena Likhovtseva, who moved past Spain’s Magui Serna 5-7 6-4 6-4.

Capriati reached the final in Berlin two years ago before losing to France’s Amelie Mauresmo, who is seeded fifth this year and also progressed on Thursday with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Israel’s Anna Pistolesi.

Mauresmo now plays Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan, who ousted eighth seed Jelena Dokic 4-6 6-2 7-6 in the biggest upset of the day. Dokic collapsed at the worst possible moment, losing the decisive tie break 7-0.

Third round results:

Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt 16-Anna Pistolesi (Israel) 6-3 6-2, Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) bt 15-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 6-2 6-3 Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) bt Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian (Switzerland) 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2), Vera Zvonareva (Russia) bt Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 7-5 4-6 6-4 Kim Clijsters (Belgium) bt Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) 7-5 6-3 Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzbekistan) bt 8-Jelena Dokic (Serbia and Montenegro) 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-0) Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) bt Magui Serna (Spain) 5-7 6-4 6-4 Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) bt 17-Nathalie Dechy 6-2 6-3—Reuters

Kafelnikov upsets Moya

ROME: Third seed Carlos Moya became the latest high-ranking casualty at the Rome Masters on Thursday, beaten 6-4 7-6 by Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the third round.