Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova is through to the ASB Classic quarterfinals after a straight sets win in Auckland on Wednesday.
Sharapova won the match against Renata Voracova 6-3, 7-5.
The Czech led 3-1 in the first set but Sharapova won the next five games.
The second set was locked at 3-3 when Voracova won two games and looked to have a chance of taking the match to a third, only to lose the next four games the tournament's big draw card.
In the quarters, Sharapova will play the Hungarian Greta Arn, who ousted eighth seed Sofia Arviddson of Sweden in three sets, 4-6 7-5 7-5.
Defending champion Yanina Wickmayer is also in the quarterfinals after a hard-fought win against Germany's Sabine Lisicki. The Belgian won the match 6-2 3-6 6-2.
Also eliminated on Wednesday are Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Vesnina and Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain.
Kuznetsova was beaten by China's Peng Shuai 2-6 6-4 6-4.
Britain's Heather Watson beat Suarez 7-6(5) 6-1, while Romania's Simona Halep scored a 2-6 6-4 4-0 victory after Vesnina retired complaining of dizziness.
