ROME, Italy - Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova came into the Internazionali BNL d'Italia with a WTA-leading three doubles titles in 2011. They will not extend their lead this week after being beaten, 63 60, by Nadia Petrova and Anastasia Rodionova in second round action Thursday.

The seventh-seeded Czechs being taken down so convincingly is a bit shocking, but Petrova having success here should come as no surprise, as she is now 14-3 at this event, having played with a different partner in all seven of her appearances, highlighted by a run to the title in 2004 alongside Meghann Shaughnessy. Petrova and Rodionova united for the first time just last week in Madrid, losing in the second round, yet now find themselves in Friday's Rome quarterfinals against third-seeded Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova. The victory had to be extra sweet for Rodionova, who turned 29 Thursday.

No.1 seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta were coming off a quarterfinal loss in Madrid last week to eventual champs Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko. However, the defending champions here got back to their winning ways, 64 63, over Vera Dushevina and Tatiana Poutchek. Their quarterfinal opponents will be Alexandra Dulgheru and Jarmila Gajdosova, who are paired up for the first time this week.

Sixth-seeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Meghann Shaughnessy followed up their double bagel first round win with a 64 63 triumph over fellow Americans Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears. That set up a battle with second-seeded Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik, whom they are 2-3 against.

No.8 seeds María José Martínez Sánchez and Anabel Medina Garrigues, playing this tournament together for the first time in eight years, also are into the quarterfinals, where they'll play Peng Shuai and Zheng Jie.