FILDERSTADT, Germany (AFP) - Amelie Mauresmo underlined her world number one credentials by surging into the quarter-finals of the 650,000-dollar WTA event with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Patty Schynder.
Frenchwoman Mauresmo, 25, took time to find her rhythm against her Swiss opponent but when her trademark backhand finally clicked, she dominated to take a place in the last eight.
"I am really enjoying first tournament as world number one," enthused Mauresmo. "I do not think it is possible to stay 300 weeks at the top as in the past, but I will try to stay here a bit longer."
It did not look good for top seed Mauresmo early on with Schnyder going 5-3 up with the opportunity to serve for the set.
But Mauresmo unleashed a string of backhands to turn the match on its head and win the set 7-5.
It was more of the same in the second set as Schynder had no answer to Mauresmo's powerful ground strokes and lost the second set 6-4.
Mauresmo, who has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament, will face Lisa Raymond in her quarter-final as she bids to fend off American ace Lindsay Davenport for the World No. 1 slot.
Davenport will play 19-year-old Serbia and Montenegro qualifier Jelena Jankovic in her quarter-final.
French Open winner Anastasia Myskina also moved into the last eight coming from a set down to beat France's Nathalie Dechy 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
"I have gone out in the first round in several tournaments and was quite nervous," confessed the Russian third seed. "But it all turned out well in the end."
Another Russian to reach the last eight was 19-year-old Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded four, with the US Open winner defeating compatriot Elena Bovina 7-5, 6-4.