(adds details, Groenefeld result)
By Gene Sapakoff
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Top seed Justine Henin-Hardenne
continued her Family Circle Cup dominance Thursday with a 6-4
6-4 victory over Croatian baseliner Karolina Sprem.
World number three Henin-Hardenne, eliminated in the first
round of her previous tournament at Miami, appeared to gain
strength in her second Charleston match to reach the
quarter-finals of the event she won in 2003 and 2005.
"I don't have any problems physically," the Belgian told
reporters.
"I mean, there are still a few issues with my shoulder but
not something major that is bothering me right now."
All the top four seeds advanced Thursday, including Russians
Nadia Petrova and Svetlana Kuznetsova and Swiss Patty Schnyder.
Second seed Petrova, coming off a title at Amelia Island
last week, overpowered 14th seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech
Republic 6-1 6-3 to set up a match with Colombia's Catalina
Castano, the only unseeded player to reach the quarterfinals.
World number 48 Castano advanced when France's Marion
Bartoli retired with left knee inflammation with Castano leading
the 5-4 in the first set.
Kuznetsova, the fourth seed, overcame hip and elbow worries
to defeat Lourdes Dominguez-Lino of Spain 6-2 6-1. She will play
sixth seeded Anna-Lena Groenefeld, a 7-6 (3) 6-3 winner over
Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Third seeded Schnyder defeated Mara Santangelo 3-6 7-6 (2)
6-3 after the Italian played brilliantly in the first set,
making only eight unforced errors.
"It was a really big struggle, and I didn't feel
comfortable," Schnyder said.
Schnyder on Friday will play France's Nathalie Dechy, the
eighth seed. Dechy, finally healthy and playing some of her best
tennis of the year, defeated 11th seeded Katarina Srebotnik of
Slovenia 6-2 6-3.
Henin-Hardenne will face Russian Dinara Safina in the
quarterfinals. Safina, the seventh seed, ousted qualifier Julia
Vakulenko of the Ukraine 6-7 (6) 6-2 6-2.