THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
STUTTGART, Germany -- Third-seeded Dinara Safina rallied in the second set to beat Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova 6-1, 7-6 (6) for a place in the quarter-finals of the Porsche Grand Prix.
Two other Russians also advanced to the last eight, Vera Zvonareva and Nadia Petrova.
Safina trailed 3-5 in the second set after having her serve broken but broke right back to love. She never trailed in the tiebreaker and used her second match point to close out the encounter.
Seventh-seeded Zvonareva spoiled Marion Bartoli's 24th birthday by beating the Frenchwoman 6-2, 6-0, while Petrova overcame Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-4, 6-1.
"I didn't give her a chance to get into the match," said Zvonareva, the Olympic bronze medallist. "I played pretty well and consistent."
Safina still has a chance at finishing the year at No. 1 after a breakthrough season during which she has won four titles. She was also runner-up at the French Open and the Olympics and a semifinalist at the U.S. Open.
"It wasn't an easy match, I didn't play at my best. I was going for my shots even if I was missing some," Safina said.
American Venus Williams was scheduled to play Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine later Thursday and Jelena Jankovic plays Bondarenko's sister, Alona.
Jankovic will be the new No. 1 when the latest rankings come out Monday. The Serb was assured of going to the top when Serena Williams lost to Li Na on Wednesday. Jankovic held the top spot for a week in August.
Since Justine Henin retired in May, four players have held the No.1 ranking: Ana Ivanovic, Jankovic, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams.
Ivanovic and Sharapova are the only top-10 players who did not come to Stuttgart.
Petrova, the 2006 champion in Stuttgart, will meet Li in the quarter-finals.
Safina will play either Venus Williams or Kateryna Bondarenko. Zvonareva will meet either Jankovic or Alona Bondarenko.
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