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Holder Mauresmo cruises to victory

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PARIS, France -- Holder Amelie Mauresmo breezed past fellow-Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy with a 6-3 6-2 win to reach the quarterfinals of the Paris Open.

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 win.

"I am quite happy with this victory. Like I said before the start of the tournament, I am feeling better than last month," Mauresmo told reporters.

"There was a bit of tension on the court because Nathalie and I, we know each other so well," she added.

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 quarterfinals earlier on Thursday.

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 beat Russian qualifier Ekaterina Bychkova 6-4 6-4 and will meet top seed Justine Henin in the last eight.

Czech Lucie Safarova completed the quarterfinal line up with a 6-4 6-2 victory over compatriot and fifth seed Nicole Vaidisova. Safarova faces Russian third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova next.

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