Kuznetsova cruises into last eight

NEW YORK -- Former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova moved smoothly into the US Open quarterfinals on Monday, profiting from a bottom half of the women's draw that has been blown wide open.

The 22-year-old Russian, who was a shock U.S. Open winner in 2004, defeated fast-rising 18-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-2 6-3.

Next up is another 18-year-old in the shape of Agnes Szavay of Hungary, who defeated Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine 6-4 7-6 in another early fourth-round tie.

Fourth seed Kuznetsova is the highest-ranking player left in the bottom half. In contrast, the top half contains most of the big names with the quarterfinals already set opposing top seed Justine Henin against Serena Williams and third seed Jelena Jankovic against Venus Williams.

Kuznetsova, one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour this year, had little to do in the first set as Azarenko dug her own grave by spraying her groundstrokes wide and long.

Azarenko started to find her touch to break the Russian's serve at the start of the second set, but Kuznetsova replied by stepping up her own game to level.

The Russian then cracked a crosscourt forehand winner to break for a second time in the eighth game of the set.

A nervy Kuznetsova let four match points get away on her serve in the following game, but converted at the fifth attempt with a deft serve and volley.

Szavay, who has emerged only in the last few months with a WTA tournament win in Palermo, was the more solid in a tight first set against Vakulenko, who at 24 was the oldest player left in the bottom half.

Both players though struggled to hold on to their serves in the second set which went into a tie-break.

Vakulenko won the first point in that but then Svazay reeled off seven points in a row to reach the last eight in what is only her third appearance in a Grand Slam tournament.

Also through to her second Grand Slam quarterfinal is Isarel's Shahar Peer, who defeated defending champion Maria Sharapova's conquerer, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Peer won comfortably 6-4 6-1 and will play the winner of the night session match between Russian sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze and 16-year-old Austrian prodigy Tamira Paszek. E-mail to a friend