Serene, Venus in Stanford quarter-finals

Top seed Serena Williams surged into the quarter-finals of the $700,000 WTA Bank of the West Classic yesterday with a 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) triumph over Hungary's Melinda Czink.

Serena Williams celebrates a point against Hungary's Melinda Czink. pic/AFP

Williams, an 11-time Grand Slam champion who owns this year's Australian Open and Wimbledon crowns, advanced to a meeting with Aussie Samantha Stosur. Serena's elder sister Venus, whose seven Grand Slam titles include five Wimbledon crowns, later defeated Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva 6-1, 7-5 to book her own quarter-final and set up a clash against Russian star Maria Sharapova.

Other matches later in the day send Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic against Germany's Sabine Lisicki and French eighth seed Marion Bartoli against American Melanie Oudin.

Davydenko stays on course
Top seed Nikolay Davydenko stayed on course for a second consecutive ATP Tour title after easing into the quarter-finals of the Studena Croatia Open in Umag yesterday.

The Russian, the winner in Hamburg last week, defeated Spanish veteran Alberto Martin 6-2 6-3. In the last eight he will play Simone Bolelli, who won his all-Italian clash with Fabio Fognini 6-3 6-4.

In the biggest upset of the day, second seed David Ferrer was bundled out of the tournament losing 6-4 2-6 4-6 to Chile's Nicolas Massu. Massu will play Andreas Seppi who beat Federico Gil 7-5 7-6.