Serena Williams set up a quarterfinal meeting with Maria Sharapova while top-seeded defending champion Victoria Azarenka suffered a shock loss at the Bank of the West Classic Thursday. Williams beat Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to set up an intriguing pre-US Open clash of former world No. 1s. “I'm sure we'll both go out and do the best each of us can,” Williams said. “It's nothing personal. It's my job and I want to get paid. I leave it on the court.” Belarussian Azarenka was beaten 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 by New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, a 121st-ranked qualifier who recorded her first win over a top-20 opponent, stunning the Wimbledon semifinalist. Her quarterfinal opponent will be Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova. In other results, Germany's Sabine Lisicki knocked off fourth-seeded Samantha Stosur, 6-3, 7-5, and will meet No.5 seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the quarterfinals. Japan's Ayumui Morita made sure there were not two Radwanska sisters in the last eight, beating qualifier Urszula Radwanska 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and will next face Marion Bartoli. Peer, Dubois in quarterfinals In Maryland, Israeli top seed Shahar Peer, a first-round loser in her past four events, moved into the quarterfinals of a $220,000 WTA hardcourt tournament Thursday in quest of a sixth career title. Peer saved all six break points she faced to beat Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1, 6-4 and advanced to a last-eight meeting with Italian eighth seed Alberta Brianti, who eliminated American Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 6-2. Canada's Stephanie Dubois advanced to her first WTA quarterfinal in six years by rallying to oust Britain's Heather Watson 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. She will face Austrian third seed Tamira Paszek, who beat American Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-1. Almagro advances In Switzerland, top-seeded Nicolas Almagro was preparing for double duty at the Swiss Open Friday, after defeating Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 7-6 (6), 6-3 in a rain-delayed second-round match. Almagro completed victory within an hour and booked his return to Roy Emerson Arena hours later against fifth-seeded fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. Second-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka disappointed the Gstaad crowd by losing 6-3, 6-2 to eighth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain. Granollers will face Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in Saturday's semifinals. Third-seeded Youzhny beat 70th-ranked Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
