Serena, Clijsters, Sharapova advance

World number one Diana Safina was eliminated while Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters advanced to the third round of a two million-dollar WTA hardcourt tournament here Wednesday.

France's Aravane Rezai rallied to oust Russia's Safina 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Safina made 17 double faults and struggled after losing last Sunday's WTA final in Cincinnati to Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.

Safina joined the seeded scrapheap in Canada that also includes number three Venus Williams, bounced Tuesday by Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko. Safina blamed her service struggles on a number of issues. The upset sends Rezai into a matchup against Russia's Alisa Kleybanova, who defeated Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4).

Serena Williams ousted Kazakh qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-2, scoring eight points in a row at one stage as she booked a third-round matchup against Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko, the sister of the player who ousted her sister. Belgium's Kim Clijsters, in her second event back since a two-year break to start a family, eliminated ninth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-5, 4-6, 6-1.

Clijsters will next face fifth seed Jankovic, who defeated Swiss Patty Schnyder 7-5, 6-4. Sharapova, making a shoulder injury comeback, struggled but advanced by ousting Germany's Sybille Bammer, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5). Next for her is Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva, who beat Italian qualifier Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-3. AFP