LOS ANGELES - Maria Sharapova overcame a stern challenge from Michaella Krajicek to reach the Los Angeles Classic tennis quarterfinals with a 7-6 6-7 6-4 victory today.
The top seed needed nearly three hours to see off the 18-year-old Dutchwoman, losing her serve nine times in the match.
Krajicek also had trouble serving into the wind and sun and Sharapova broke her 10 times.
"It felt like a break-fest," Sharapova said.
"Back and forth. I felt like I was going to the Death Eaters and they were going to eat me up."
Krajicek, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, got up a break at 4-3 in the third set but was immediately broken back.
Sharapova held off two break points with forehand winners and clinched the match on her third match point with a crosscourt backhand service return winner.
Sharapova, who next faces fellow Russian Elena Dementieva.
The defending champion, who beat Sharapova in the semifinals here last year, advanced when fifth seed Daniela Hantuchova retired with a respiratory infection trailing 6-3 4-1.
Hantuchova became the third player to be struck by illness at the tournament, after second seed Jelena Jankovic and Greece's Eleni Daniilidou suffering similar ailments.
Serbia's Jankovic romped to a 6-2 6-1 victory over Austria's Sybille Bammer, while her compatriot, third seed Ana Ivanovic advanced easily with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Czech Lucie Safarova.
Ivanovic will next face Russia's Maria Kirilenko, who crushed Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-3 6-4.
Fourth seed Nadia Petrova, of Russia, overwhelmed Katarina Srebotnik 6-1 6-2 and will play France's Virginie Razzano, who ended Sania Mirza's impressive run 6-1 7-6.
