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TOKYO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Russian beauty Maria Sharapova overcame a
mid-match setback to beat Italy's Francesca Schiavone 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 Thursday,
reaching the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open.
Sharapova, who lost to American Serena Williams in the Australian Open
final, had 17 double faults, turned her game around after receiving a courtside
lecture from coach Michael Joyce during the break between the second and third
sets.
Sharapova will meet Japan's Ai Sugiyama on Friday. Sugiyama downed Russia's
Maria Kirilenko 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
In an earlier match, defending champion Elena Dementieva nipped fellow
Russian 6-3, 7-5 Elena Likhovtseva.
Dementieva will play Italy's Roberta Vinci in the quarter-finals. Vinci
beat France's Severine Bremond 6-3, 6-0.
Fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia ousted China's Zheng Jie 6-4, 6-0,
while fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic, also of Serbia, subdued Mara Santangelo of
Italy 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Jankovic will take on Ivanovic, while Switzerland's Martina Hingis
faces Australia's Samantha Stosur in the other quarter-final.
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