Gaudio goes the distance to make quarters in Acapulco

ACAPULCO, Mexico -- Second-seeded Gaston Gaudio defeated Razvan Sabau 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open.

In women's play, defending champion Flavia Pennetta beat fellow Italian Tathiana Garbin 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to advance in the clay court tournament at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess.

Gaudio, ranked eighth in the world, cruised through his first set, winning almost every point in his services.

But the Romanian gave him trouble with a powerful backhand to win a series of hard fought volleys and take the second.

Pennetta also had a tough second set, going up 3-1 before dropping the set.

"I was a bit tired and my play went down and Garbin took advantage of this," Pennetta said. "Tomorrow I hope to play better."

Pennetta's countryman Alessio Di Mauro also moved into the quarterfinal, eliminating Boris Pashanski of Serbia and Montenegro, 1-6, 6-3. 6-4.

On Tuesday, Di Mauro upset top-seeded Guillermo Coria of Argentina.

In other play Wednesday, Laura Pous Tio of Spain beat third-seeded Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-0.

Meghann Shaughnessy of the United Status also advanced to the quarterfinals, eliminating fifth-seeded Catalina Castano of Colombia, 6-1, 6-1.