BERLIN — Top-seeded Jennifer Capriati and fourth-seeded Serena Williams won in straight sets Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the German Open.
Capriati beat Iroda Tulyaganova 6-2, 6-0 in just 43 minutes in swirling wind.
"I just feel more comfortable on clay — I think its coming together," said Capriati, who will defend her French Open title later this month.
"It's nice to have a match like that once in a while, I haven't had one of these in a while — and I've got a lot of tennis to play."
Williams struggled in beating Magdalena Maleeva 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the $1.22 million event.
Williams powered an ace past the 26th-ranked Maleeva to end the match in 1 hour, 33 minutes, raising her record this year to 16-2.
"My serve wasn't consistent, but when it went in, I think it saved me," Williams said.
Williams, playing just her second match on European clay, wasn't happy with her performance in which she hit overpowering winners and missed easy shots.
"Playing on clay is mental, my mental is there," Williams said. "I'm just waiting for my game to catch up. Maybe tomorrow.
"But you guys don't have to worry — I'll win."
In other third-round matches, Daniela Hantuchova, seeded 11th, upset sixth-seeded Jelena Dokic, 6-2, 6-3. Fifth-seeded Justine Henin defeated Elena Likhovtseva, 5-7 6-4, 6-4, and seventh-seeded Amelie Mauresmo beat Silvia Farina 6-3, 6-3.
Nathalie Dechy beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, 7-6 (4), 6-3; and Anna Smashova, who upset second-seeded Kim Clijsters in the first round, defeated Cristina Torrens-Valero 7-6 (7), 6-0.
ITALY OPEN: In Rome, seventh-seeded Tommy Haas and 14th-seeded Jiri Novak won in straight sets Thursday to advance to quarterfinals of the Italian Open.
Hass beat 10th-seeded Sebastien Grosjean 6-3, 6-4, snapping a five-match losing streak against the Frenchman.
"It's good to finally have beaten him," Haas said. "But he looked like he was a little injured in the hip today and he made a few more errors than usual."
The 24-year-old Haas improved to 20-9 this year.
Novak rallied from 1-4 in the opening set to defeat Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-1.
Three Americans made it to the third round for the first time since 1995.
Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and James Blake were scheduled to play later Thursday.