Hercog advances in Morocco

Marrakech - Top-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia beat last year's runner-up Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the Grand Prix SAR.

Hantuchova won five straight games to take the first set and lead 2-0 in the second.

Garbine Muguruza of Spain, Peng Shuai of China and Shahar Peer of Israel also won their second-round matches.

The fifth-seeded Muguruza broke serve six times in her 6-3, 6-2 win over Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland.

Muguruza will face Peer, who overcame Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (3) in a match that lasted more than three hours.

Peer took a 4-0 lead in the final tiebreaker after Mayr failed to serve out the match at 5-4 and 6-5 in the last set.

The sixth-seeded Peng defeated Ukrainian qualifier Maryna Zanevska 6-4, 7-6 (5) to next play Hantuchova.

Zanevska made five double-faults and dropped serve at 5-4 in the first set. Peng rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the final set and led 5-1 in the tiebreaker.

In her return from injury, Polona Hercog of Slovenia cruised past seventh-seeded Zhang Shuai of China 6-2, 6-2 to move into the second round.

Hercog broke Zhang twice in the first set and three times in the second.

She has been sidelined by a right rib injury since the Australian Open where she retired in the first round because of a right shoulder injury.

Results from the third day of the Marrakech WTA Grand Prix tournament:

Second round:

Garbie Muguruza (ESP) bt Stefanie Vgele (SUI) 6-3, 6-2
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x1) bt Lourdes Domnguez (ESP) 7-5, 6-2
Peng Shuai (CHN x6) bt Maryna Zanevska (UKR) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)
Shahar Peer (ISR) bt Patricia Mayr (AUT) 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3)

First round

Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN x7) 6-2, 6-2