GUANGZHOU: Top seed Simona Halep of Romania defeated Timea Babos of Hungary in straight sets in second-round play Wednesday in the WTA Guangzhou International Women’s Open, as all remaining seeded players advanced.

Halep, ranked number two in the world, downed Babos 6-4, 6-0. The Romanian was defeated in the semifinals of the US Open this month by eventual champion Flavia Pennetta of Italy.

Number three seed Sara Errani of Italy beat China’s Zhang Kai-Lin 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-2, losing the first set in a tiebreaker.

Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic, seeded fourth, downed Francesca Schiavone of Italy 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, while number five seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia eliminated Poland’s Urszula Radwanska in straight sets 6-0, 6-1.

Sixth seed Monica Niculescu from Romania beat Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson 6-3, 6-2.

China’s top player Zheng Saisai, seeded eighth, downed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-1, 7-6 (13/11) after taking the final set in a lengthy tiebreaker.

Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic defeated Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).

Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer beat Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig 6-3, 6-4. Puig had upset number two seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany in the first round.

The other seeded player to lose so far was Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, at number seven, who was defeated in the first round by Jovanovski 6-4, 6-2.

Players are battling for prize money of $250,000.

Wozniacki in quarters

In Tokyo, No.1 seed Caroline Wozniacki outclassed Ana Konjuh of Croatia 6-2, 6-2 at the Pan Pacific Open Wednesday, advancing to a quarterfinal against German fifth seed Angelique Kerber.

The Danish former world No.1, winner here in 2010, took one hour and 22 minutes to complete the night match.

“Overall, I am happy with the victory,” said Wozniacki, who is currently the world number six.

Kerber has won six of her past 10 meetings with Wozniacki, including the April final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.

Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic edged past former US Open champion Samantha Stosur in a gruelling second-round thriller.

The 18-year-old, ranked 15th in the world, spent two hours and 16 minutes to win 6-7 (7/5), 6-3, 6-4, surviving constant pressure from the big serves and sizzling returns of the 22nd-ranked Australian.

The victory means Bencic will play her first match against Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinals.

In other matches Muguruza, the world No.8, outperformed Czech Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-4.

Kerber came behind for a 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 victory against American Madison Brengle.

Schmiedlova moves up

In Seoul, Slovakian second seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova advanced on Wednesday to the quarterfinal of the WTA Korea Open after a tough bout with Christina McHale of the United States.

Schmiedlova, ranked 31st in the world, needed three sets to oust McHale 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck, seeded eighth, took a tiebreaker to win the third set against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/3).

Swedish veteran Johanna Larsson, ranked 62nd in the world, booked her place in the quarterfinal with an upset victory over German seventh seed Julia Goerges 7-5, 6-4.

German fifth seed Mona Barthel crushed Mariana Duque of Colombia 6-2, 6-1.