The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, California

Fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova was sent crashing out of the WTA Stanford event while Anna Chakvetadze stepped up her play with a second round victory on Wednesday.

Two of the top four players to earn byes at the hardcourt event, the second-seeded Chakvetadze cruised past unseeded Israeli Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-4 while Hantuchova was upset by unseeded veteran Ai Sugiyama of Japan who won 6-3, 6-1.

Top-seeded Serena Williams could present a major roadblock in Chakvetadze's repeat bid.

In the late match on Wednesday, Williams had to rally to beat Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The 26-year-old American, owner of three titles and a 32-4 record this season, was playing her first match since losing to sister Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final.

Chakvetadze was playing some of the best tennis of her career at this time last season, claiming the title here just a week after winning the championship in Cincinnati.

The 21-year-old went on to run her hardcourt winning streak to 12 matches before losing to Maria Sharapova in semi-finals at San Diego.

She won her lone title of the year in February on the indoor carpet in Paris, but has reached just one semi-final in 10 events since and was a pedestrian 20-13 entering this tournament.

Hantuchova was playing in just her third match since mid-April due to a stress fracture in her foot.

In the only other match slated - a battle of unseeded players - Dominika Cibulkova eliminated Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-3.