PATTAYA CITY, Thailand - Russians ruled supreme at the PTT Pattaya Open on Thursday, with three booking places in the quarterfinals of the International event. One of them, Ekaterina Bychkova, was responsible for the upset of the day, ousting third-seeded compatriot Vera Dushevina in the first match of the day, 64 61.
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Later, top seed Vera Zvonareva advanced at the expense of Italy's Alberta Brianti, 63 62. The defending champion was followed into the last eight by Anna Chakvetadze, whose 64 61 defeat of Anastasia Rodionova marked the former world No.5's first back-to-back win at Tour level since New Haven last season.
This year Chakvetadze, who is playing at Pattaya for the first time, was beaten in the first round at Auckland by Kimiko Date Krumm; in the final round of qualifying at Hobart by Elena Baltacha; and in the first round of the Australian Open by Flavia Pennetta.
The other two players winning through to the quarters were pushed to three sets. Fifth-seeded Austrian Sybille Bammer beat Chang Kai-Chen of Chinese Taipei, 57 64 62, while Germany's Tatjana Malek overcame a middle set bagel to outlast Chan Yung-Jan, 62 06 75.
Friday's quarterfinals wage Zvonareva against Bammer, fourth-seeded Yaroslava Shvedova against Malek, Sesil Karatantcheva against Bychkova and Chakvetadze against local heroine Tamarine Tanasugarn.
The doubles semifinal line-up has also been settled, with the top-seeded Rodionova sisters set to play Marina Erakovic and Tanasugarn, and No.2 seeds Jill Craybas and Julia Goerges facing Chakvetadze and Ksenia Pervak.
