Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (SportsNetwork.com) - Top seed Klara Zakopalova was an easy second-round winner Wednesday at the inaugural Rio Open tennis event.
The Czech veteran vaulted past Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-4, 6-1 on the red clay at Jockey Club Brasileiro.
Zakopalova will meet Poland's Katarzyna Piter in Friday's quarterfinals.
Also in the second round, third-seeded Argentine Paula Ormaechea got past Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 7-5, 7-5, Piter overcame German Dinah Pfizenmaier 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, and Italian Nastassja Burnett outlasted Belgian fellow qualifier Alison Van Uytvanck 0-6, 6-3, 6-2. Ormaechea and Burnett will battle in the round of eight.
The first round concluded Wednesday when fifth-seeded Japanese Kurumi Nara drilled Taipei's Su-Wei Hsieh 6-3, 6-2 and German Anna-Lena Friedsam drubbed Ukrainian Nadiya Kichenok 6-2, 6-3.
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