Rome - Top seed Dinara Safina needed two and a half hours to squeeze into the quarter-finals of the Rome International Wednesday while holder Jelena Jankovic benefited from a withdrawal to spend just 30 minutes on court. Safina, the world number one, outlasted China's feisty 14th seed Zheng Jie 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) in a struggle.
Third seed Jankovic extended her Foro Italico win streak to 12 matches after ailing opponent Kateryna Bondarenko was unable to continue, handing a 6-1, 1-0 third-round victory.
Polish 10th-seed Agnieszka Radwanska sprang a shock result, sending number five Ana Ivanovic to the scrap heap 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 after the Serb stood swell ahead in the last set.
But Ivanovic remained good-natured. "I was playing pretty well, especially in the third set. But she played really well.
"When I was up 4-0 she didn't give me much opportunities. I was a little bit disappointed I didn't step in and take some balls out of the air. She's great mover and was retrieving lots of balls."
Safina will hope for easier going Thursday when she faces Spanish upstart Maria Jose Martínez Sánchez, who put out eighth seed Nadia Petrova 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.
Little more than 12 hours after upsetting second seed Serena Williams, Swiss spoiler Patty Schnyder was herself dismissed 6-3, 6-0 by 16th seed Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.
Jankovic, who lost her last match at the event in 2006, was disappointed to have such a short day on the clay.
"I would have loved to finish the match, because I was playing pretty well in that first set," said last season's year-end number one. "I felt the ball really well and I had good timing.
"It was a good set. But unfortunately my opponent was sick, and there's nothing you can do about that."
Jankovic is lifting on clay after claiming a title last month in Marbella as she heads towards Madrid next week followed by the French Open from May 24.
Following her minimal Thursday workout, the Serb hit the practise courts before a possible diversionary shopping expedition.
"I just try to play my tennis the best that I can, some days are hard; some days are easier. I cannot control the way the other girls play. I can control how I play."
Jankovic will line up in the last eight of the event which ends Saturday as she faces Sunday's Stuttgart champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.
The seventh seed overcame Italian crowd-favourite Flavia Pennetta, the number 12, with 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 scoreline.
Sixth seed Victoria Azarenka, the Miami champion, defeated number nine Dane Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2.
