Parmentier reaches quarterfinals at Japan Open

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Unseeded Pauline Parmentier of France reached the quarterfinals of the Japan Open by beating second-seeded Zheng Jie of China 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday.

Parmentier won 74 percent of her first serves in the match and will next face Heather Watson of Britain. Watson beat sixth-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3.

Also, seventh-seeded Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa defeated Mirjana Lucic of Croatia 6-2, 6-2 and will next meet Misaki Doi of Japan.

Eighth-seeded Laura Robson of Britain also advanced to the quarterfinals, beating Chinese qualifier Yi-Miao Zhou 6-4, 6-4. Robson will next play Kai-Chen Chang of Taiwan.