Top seed Serena Williams surged into the quarterfinals of the $700,000 WTA Bank of the West Classic on Thursday with a 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) triumph over Hungary's Melinda Czink. Serena advanced to a meeting with Aussie Samantha Stosur. On Wednesday, Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva breezed into the quarterfinals. A red-hot Sharapova destroyed fifth seed and compatriot Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-2, before world number four Dementieva despatched another Russian in Maria Kirilenko with the same scoreline. Australia's Samantha Stosur defeated Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-1, 7-5 in other second round action on Wednesday. Davydenko to quarterfinals In Croatia, fresh off winning the German Open last weekend, top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko eased into the Croatia Open quarterfinals by beating Alberto Martin of Spain 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday. In the quarterfinals, he will face Simone Bolelli of Italy, who defeated compatriot Fabio Fognini, 6-3, 6-4. Fifth-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero overcame Potito Starace of Italy 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. His quarterfinal opponent will be Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina, who ousted Oscar Hernandez of Spain 6-4, 6-4. Jurgen Melzer of Austria beat Pablo Cuevas 6-4, 6-3, reversing a loss to the Uruguayan last week in Hamburg. Safin and Haas advance In Los Angeles, big-serving American John Isner continued his red-hot run at the LA Open with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the second round on Wednesday. Isner will next meet Australian qualifier Carsten Ball. World No. 205 Ball booked his place in the last eight for the first time on the circuit when third-seeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov, runner-up here in 2006, retired hurt with a back injury while trailing 4-6, 1-0 in their encounter. Eighth-seeded Russian Marat Safin also advanced, reaching the quarters after coming from a set down to beat Latvian Ernests Gulbis 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. He will face top-seeded German Tommy Haas, who crushed American wildcard Jesse Levine 6-1, 6-3. Medina Garrigues advances Third-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain overcame wildcard Pemra Ozgen of Turkey to advance to the quarterfinals of the Istanbul Cup on Wednesday. Medina Garrigues beat Ozgen 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, in the Turk's first ever appearance in the second round of a WTA tournament.
