Vinci reaches Kremlin Cup quarter-finals

MOSCOW: Later Italian Roberta Vinci also reached the quarter-finals winning a high quality match with Elena Vesnina of Russia 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Vinci, 30 and better known as a double specialist although she is a career high 11th in the singles rankings and seeded two in Moscow, will play another Russian in the last eight in the shape of two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Vesnina, 27 and ranked 25th in the world after winning two WTA titles this year, looked in command from the start breaking her rival's serve twice in the opening set to take it in 30 minutes.

But in the second Vinci stepped up a gear breaking her opponent's serve on three occasions -- Vesnina only able to break back once -- to level the match at one set apiece.

The rivals traded breaks early in the third set before Vinci made the decisive break to win the match.(AFP)