Serena reaches Toronto quarter-finals

Second-seeded Serena Williams eased into the quarter-finals of the $2 million WTA hardcourt tournament on Thursday with a straight sets victory over Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko.

Williams, the reigning Wimbledon, Australian Open and US Open champion, needed only 64 minutes to subdue Bondarenko 6-1, 6-4.

The American exacted a bit of familial revenge after third-seeded Venus Williams was eliminated in the second round by Alona's sister, Kateryna Bondarenko.

Kateryna's run came to an end on Thursday at the hands of 14th-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska.

Radwanska was up 7-5, 5-3 and 40-0 when rain stopped play, and when the match resumed she duly finished off a 7-5, 6-3 victory.

In the quarters, she'll face either seventh-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva or former World No 1 Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova, still working her way back from shoulder surgery, headlined Thursday night's session along with another comeback kid, Kim Clijsters, who was to take on fifth-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic.

In other early matches, fourth-seed Russian Elena Dementieva, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist, beat Israeli Shahar Peer 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

In the quarter-finals Dementieva will face Australian Samantha Stosur, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over France's Virginie Razzano.

Czech qualifier Lucie Safarova booked a shot at Serena with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over China's Zheng Jie.

Russian Alisa Kleybanova toppled giant killer Aravane Rezai 6-3, 6-4. France's Rezai ousted world number one Dinara Safina on Wednesday.

Kleybanova will play either Clijsters or Jankovic in the quarter-finals.