Summary Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Roger Federer eased into Rome Open quarter-finals.
ROME (AFP) - Maria Sharapova brushed aside America s Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-1, to reach the Rome Open quarter-finals on Thursday.
She will face Italy s Sara Errani for a place in the semi-finals in a repeat of last year s French Open final which the Russian won.
World number one Serena Williams also comfortably made the Rome Masters quarter-finals on Thursday with a 6-0, 6-1 mauling of Slovakia s 14th seed Dominika Cibulkova.
Williams will face Spain s Carla Suarez Navarro for a spot in the semi-finals.
In the men’s Roger Federer eased past Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Rome Masters quarter-finals.
The second seed will face Poland s Jerzy Janowicz for a place in the semi-finals.
