Mauresmo breezes through in Paris

PARIS, Feb 8 (Reuters) Holder Amelie Mauresmo breezed past fellow Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy with a 6-3 6-2 win to reach the quarter-finals of the Paris Open today.

Second seed Mauresmo, who is in Paris hoping to make up for her fourth round exit at the Australian Open last month, needed one hour and 22 minutes to wrap up the victory.

She will meet for a place in the last four Russian eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze, who stumbled past Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues.

''It is going to be hard for me, in front of the French crowd,'' Chakvetadze told reporters after her 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory.

''But I do not fear anyone and I think it is going to be great tennis,'' added the Russian, who won the Hobart tournament last month.

She recovered from a shaky start as Medina Garrigues converted one of her two break points to edge the first set but the Russian's efficient groundstrokes eventually saw Chakvetadze through after two hours and nine minutes.

Compatriot Nadia Petrova made light work of Germany's Martina Muller to reach the quarter-finals earlier today.

Fourth seed Petrova, who will play Dinara Safina for a place in the last four, wrapped up a 6-1 6-2 win in 51 minutes.

The world number seven, who has beaten Safina in their two previous meetings, built her success on a highly reliable serve and broke her opponent four times.

''I am very happy to have won this first match,'' said Petrova, who like Mauresmo was granted a bye for the first round.

''I did not play that well but this win will give me confidence for the next match.'' France's Tatiana Golovin also qualified for the quarter-finals when she beat Russian qualifier Ekaterina Bychkova 6-4 6-4.

REUTERS DKS BST0050