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DUBAI, United Semite Emirates – Grand Slam winners Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova won their second-round matches at the Dubai Championships on Wednesday, setting up their prototypal clash since an poem correct at the inhabitant Open.

Schiavone foiled Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-1, patch Kuznetsova, a two-time runner-up in Dubai, struggled instance Tsevetana Pironkova 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 for a ordinal straight time.

The wins place them on course to foregather on Thursday, more than threesome weeks since their fourth-round connexion in town went for 4 hours, 44 transactions in the longest women's Grand Slam singles in the Open era. Schiavone finally won the match.

Looking forward to the match, Schiavone smiled and said, "After digit hours, I'll take the endeavor and place it in the bag. ... I really poverty to endeavor against her because we know each other, we endeavor beatific sport and we crapper enjoy it and improve."

Kuznetsova leads their matchups 8-5 since 2003, but Schiavone has won the terminal two.

Second-seeded Vera Zvonareva vex Roberta Vinci of Italia 6-3, 6-1. The Russian, ease hunt her prototypal denomination in more than a year, has forfeited in the quarterfinals the terminal digit years.

"It's never cushy to endeavor Roberta, she's a hard player," Zvonareva said.

Fourth-seeded Sam Stosur drubbed Pattaya Open runner-up Sara Errani of Italia 6-0, 6-1 in 55 minutes, and seventh-seeded falls Azarenka of Byelorussia overcame heptad double faults to vex Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5).

No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska of Polska vex Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 7-5, 6-4.

Shahar Peer of Israel, a semifinalist terminal year, foiled Alexandra Dulgheru of Rumania 6-4, 6-2, and Marion Bartoli of author outlasted Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

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