LOS ANGELES: World number one Dinara Safina and former world number one Maria Sharapova advanced to the third round of the WTA Los Angeles Championships with triumphs Wednesday.

Russian star Safina defeated Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-4 to reach a Thursday matchup with China's Zheng Jie, who defeated Russia's Elena Vesnina 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 at the 700,000-dollar hardcourt event.

Russian beauty Sharapova, coming back from right shoulder surgery, rallied to defeat third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2.

Poland's Urszula Radwanska upset Slovakian seventh seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4 and in the third round will face China's Li Na, who outlasted Canada's Alexandra Wozniak 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Other seeded winners included Russian No. 5 Nadia Petrova, who ousted Israel's Shahar Peer 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, and Polish eighth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who eliminated Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-2, 6-1.

Australia's Samantha Stosur advanced to a third-round meeting with Serbian eighth seed Ana Ivanovic by beating Russia's Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-4.