Venus leads seeds into last 16

Former world number one Venus Williams [Images] led a trio of seeds into the last 16 of the Italian Open by beating Czech Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday.

The American ninth seed, who won the claycourt title in 1999, was joined by seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Anna Smashnova 6-1, 6-3, and Italian eighth seed Francesca Schiavone, who defeated compatriot Mara Santangelo 6-4, 6-0.

"I'm feeling good. I'm feeling more confident with each match. I hoping I can win, or at least go all the way to the final," said Williams.

She next faces a potentially tricky contest with the winner of the second round match between Russia's [Images] Vera Dushevina and last year's Rome runner-up Swiss sixth seed Patty Schnyder.

Kuznetsova's ground strokes were too powerful for Israel's Smashnova, who went down under the barrage in just over an hour.

The Russian, who won the 2004 US Open, will play Italy's [Images] Roberta Vinci or 10th seeded compatriot Anastasia Myskina [Images] for a place in the quarter-finals.

One of the most eagerly-anticipated third round matches sees home favourite Schiavone facing former world number one Martina Hingis [Images], who continued her comeback after a three-year absence with a 7-5 6-3 win over 17-year-old 12th seed Nicole Vaidisova.

The Swiss made a sluggish start and lost her first two service games to trail 3-0 but she then hit back, breaking Czech Vaidisova four times on the way to taking the first set.

An early break in the second put Hingis on course for victory. Although Vaidisova saved two match points as she served at 5-2 down, she could not stop Hingis rallying to hold serve and close out the contest in the following game.

"She's a very talented player and I'd never played her before. At first I had to get used to what she was doing," said Hingis, who won in Rome in 1998 and was runner-up in 1996.

"In the first set I had to speed it up because she was overpowering me. But I'm pleased to have the win behind me and now I'm up against Schiavone, which will be a tough test.

"I just hope there won't be too much of a crowd there or that they don't get behind her or make too much noise. It is definitely not an easy draw."

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