Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (SportsNetwork.com) - Top-seeded Italian star Sara Errani found safe passage into the quarterfinals, while her fellow countrywoman and doubles teammate Roberta Vinci came up a second-round loser Thursday at the Rio Open tennis event.
The former French Open runner-up Errani handled Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-0, 7-5, while little-know Paraguayan qualifier Veronica Cepede Royg ousted the third-seeded Vinci 6-2, 6-3 on the red clay at Jockey Club Brasileiro.
Also on Day 4, sixth-seeded Slovak Anna Schmiedlova pasted Argentine Paula Ormaechea 6-0, 6-2 and Brazilian wild card Beatriz Haddad Maia easily upended seventh-seeded Slovenian Polona Hercog 6-1, 6-2.
Friday's quarterfinals will pit Errani against Haddad Maia; second-seeded Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu versus Israeli Julia Glushko; fifth-seeded Swede Johanna Larsson against German Dinah Pfizenmaier; and Schmiedlova versus Cepede Royg.
This week's champion will claim $43,000.
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