AUCKLAND: Israel's Shahar Peer overcame the chants of protesters to make the quarter-finals as three other seeds tumbled in the second round of the Auckland Classic women's tennis tournament here Wednesday.

The 22-year-old world number 31 appeared to cope with the noisy protest against Israel's policies towards the Palestinians better than her Slovakian opponent Magdalena Rybarikova.

"I think it was really, really bad," Peer said of the noise coming from outside the ASB Tennis Centre after her crushing 6-1, 6-0 victory in just over an hour.

"I don't really have anything to say to (the protesters). I know they can do whatever they want, but as long as I'm winning, I don't care."

Rybarikova was rattled as around 10 protesters chanted throughout the first set before police moved in to disperse them, arresting one person.

"I have to say it was tough to play during the protest," she said.

"I lost the first set because I was not concentrating. I was thinking about that and not my tennis."

Top-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta had an easy passage to the quarter-finals of the WTA event after beating Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-2.

But French fifth seed Virginie Razzano and seventh-seeded compatriot Aravane Rezai lost their second-round matches, along with Russian sixth seed Elena Vesnina.

Razzano went down 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to 39-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm, who returned to the circuit in 2008 after a 12-year retirement.

"When I came back, I didn't have confidence to play speedy ball or powerful ball," Date Krumm said afterwards of her battle to regain competitiveness.

"If I play more WTA Tour, my eyes and body get used to it."

In the quarter-finals Date Krumm will face fellow wildcard and third seed Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, who beat Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-2, 6-2.

"I have so much respect for her comeback," Wickmayer said of Date Krumm.

"She is a great player and a great athlete with an awesome mentality."