ZURICH, Switzerland – Third-seeded Venus Williams defeated Alona Bondarenko 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Zurich Open.

The 28-year-old Williams saved four break points in the match, one in the first set and three in the second. Bondarenko saved two match points while serving at 5-3, but sent a forehand long in the next game to end the contest.

“When the points became important, I was winning those, especially on my serve,” Williams said. “I was trying to put more into coming in (to the net) on different kinds of shots.”

Williams will play Francesca Schiavone, who defeated Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 7-5.

Also, 17th-ranked Flavia Pennetta cruised past Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-1, and qualifier Sofia Arvidsson defeated Sybille Bammer 0-6, 7-5, 6-4. Katarina Srebrotnik defeated wild card Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-3.

Pennetta landed fewer than half of her first serves, but never faced a break point. She broke Petrova's serve five times.

Pennetta will face top-ranked Jelena Jankovic.