Sharapova reaches Cincinnati quarter-finals

French Open champion Maria Sharapova booked her quarter-final berth at the Cincinnati ATP and WTA hardcourt tournament on Thursday with a straight-sets win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Fifth-seeded Sharapova needed one hour and 58 minutes to get past her fellow Russian 6-4, 7-6 (7/2). She booked a last-eight showdown with second-seeded Romanian Simona Halep, a 6-4, 7-5 winner over Czech Lucie Safarova.