Top-ranked Ana Ivanovic overcame Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round at the Rogers Cup on Wednesday.

Ivanovic, the 2006 champion who had a first-round bye, overcame nine double faults and losing her serve five times in her first encounter with Kvitova, the 18-year-old who upset Venus Williams at Memphis this year.

Sharapova also struggled in her opener, taking nearly three hours to put down Marta Domachowska of Poland 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.

In the third round, Ivanovic will play Tamira Paszek of Austria, a 6-4, 7-5 winner over Melinda Czink of Hungary. Sharapova will play Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama.

Also advancing were Russian seeds Anna Chakvetadze, Dinara Safina and Nadia Petrova, along with 15-year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito.

No. 6-seeded Chakvetadze downed the last American, Jill Craybas, 6-2, 7-5, No. 7 Safina easily moved past Russian compatriot Anastasia Rodionova 6-2, 6-4, and Petrova accounted for Thai Olympian Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-3, 6-2.

Also, No. 9 Patty Schnyder of Switzerland overcame Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-1, 7-5, winning five straight games to rally from 2-5 in the second set, and No. 11 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated Sybille Bammer of Austria 6-2, 6-2.

No. 10 Marion Bartoli of France received a walkover when Alisa Kleybanova of Russia withdrew with a lower back injury. Bartoli will play Chakvetadze next, and Petrova will meet Schnyder in the last 16.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)