By TERRY MADDAFORD
The nightmare on Stanley St continues - just two of the eight seeds made it through to Tomorrow's quarter-finals.
Unseeded Russian star Anna Kournikova will now go into the ASB Bank Classic's fourth day favoured to go further - perhaps as far as her breakthrough first tour triumph.
Kournikova is one of four surviving Eastern European players who threaten to make the tournament their own.
Joining Kournikova in the last eight are fellow Russian and fifth seed Tatiana Panova, Croatian qualifier Silvija Talaja and Bulgarian Tatiana Poutchek, who yesterday knocked out second seed Henrieta Nagyova.
They are joined in the quarters by Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues, Swiss regular Emmanuelle Gagliardi, Israeli (but Russian-born) Anna Smashnova and third seed Anne Kremer of Luxembourg.
That the seeds have taken such a hiding does not surprise the players, who regard the Auckland tournament as the shakedown after a break.
For organisers, though, there were anxious moments as the big names continued to fall.
In Kournikova, who needed just over an hour to dispatch seventh seed Amy Frazier, they have their saviour.
Again tentative early, Kournikova soon found her game to win 6-4, 6-1.
"She wasn't missing much," said Frazier in bowing out.
"It was a tough match."
Kremer, the winner here two years ago, was just as impressive in eliminating qualifier Barbara Schwartz 6-2, 6-4.
Talaja, who now carries the hopes of the wildcards and qualifiers, admits she is feeling the pressure after five matches in five days.
Attempting to match Sandra Cacic (1996) and Marion Maruska, a year later, as qualifiers to win the tournament, Talaja joked that she had already played her final.
Main-draw players need just five wins to take it out.
"It was much tougher than the qualifiers," said 23-year-old Talaja after her three-set battle to see off Maja Matevzic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. The unseeded Poutchek surprised many with her straight-sets win over the hard-hitting Nagyova.
The Slovakian had been impressive in both singles and doubles, where she and Czech partner Kveta Hrdlickova have powered their way into the semifinals.
They will be last on court tomorrow night against the Spanish pair Marie Jose Martinez and Medina Garrigues.
Medina Garrigues faces a busy day. After beating Tunisia's Selima Sfar 6-3, 7-5 and winning her doubles with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Meilen Tu and Gagliardi today, she will be first on court tomorrow morning for her singles quarter-final with Smashnova.
They will be followed by Kournikova and Gagliardi after an apparent shuffle to suit sponsors and television who preferred, obviously, to have their star in the feature day game.
Tomorrow's schedule.-
Centre court (from 11 am): Anna Smashnova v Anabel Medina Garrigues; Emmanuelle Gagliardi v Anna Kournikova; Silvija Talaja v Tatiana Poutchek; Nicole Arendt/Liezel Huber v Janette Husarova/Maja Matevzic. 7 pm: Tatiana Panova v Anne Kremer followed by the charity auction (45 minutes) then Kveta Hrdlickova/Henrieta Nagyova v Marie Jose Martinez/Garrigues.
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