Tokyo, February 1:

Maria Sharapova rallied to defeat Italy’s Francesca Schiavone 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 on Thursday and advance to the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open.

Sharapova, playing in her first match since losing to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final, struggled with her serve but recovered to beat the unseeded Schiavone. Sharapova will face Japan’s Ai Sugiyama, who downed Russia’s Maria Kirilenko 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

In an earlier match, defending champion Elena Dementieva posted a 6-3, 7-5 win over fellow Russian Elena Likhovtseva. Dementieva will play Italy’s Roberta Vinci in the quarter-finals. Vinci downed France’s Severine Bremond 6-3, 6-0.

Fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia downed China’s Zheng Jie 6-4, 6-0, while fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic, also of Serbia, overpowered Mara Santangelo of Italy 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Jankovic will next meet Ivanovic, while Martina Hingis faces Australia’s Samantha Stosur in the other quarter-final matchup.

Movistar Open

CHILE: Albert Montanez of Spain beat Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten 6-1, 6-4, eliminating the three-time French Open winner from the Movistar Open.

In other play, Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain beat Diego Hartfield of Argentina 6-4, 6-1, and Ivan Navarro Pastor, also from Spain, downed another Argentine, Diego Junqueira, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Italy’s Martin Vassallo Arguello defeated Boris Pashansky of Serbia 7-6 (2), 6-4 and Luis Horna of Peru disposed of Ricardo Mello of Brazil, 6-3, 6-1. The event lost one of its top names when Argentina’s Gaston Gaudio withdrew because of injury.