Top Seeded Verdasco And Venus Advance

Top-seeded Fernando Verdasco and Venus Williams both reached the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open with straight-set wins on Wednesday.

Spain's Verdasco beat Poland's Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-3 while Williams was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.

Both second-seeded players also advanced in the clay-court tournament.

Fernando Gonzalez of Chile defeated Victor Hanescu of Romania 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-1, and Agnes Szavay of Hungary beat Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-1. AP