King thrashes Safarova to make Bangkok quarters

BANGKOK, Oct 12 (Reuters) American teenager Vania King reached the quarter-finals stage for the second time in her professional career today after a convincing 6-1 6-1 win over fourth-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova at the Bangkok Open.

The 17-year-old hardcourt specialist forced a visibly jaded Safarova into a series of errors to go through to the final eight in less than an hour.

''I felt good, I thought I played really well and I served really well,'' King told reporters.

''I didn't think she played the best tennis she can play. She never found her rhythm and I had an answer for everything.'' King, who turned professional only three months ago, jumped 651 ranking places in 10 months after reaching the second round of two grand slam events this year.

She will play eighth seed Jelena Kostanic of Croatia, who eased past Poland's Marta Domachowska 6-1 6-0.

Third seed Nathalie Dechy of France went out to Sybille Bammer 6-3 6-1, her third defeat by the Austrian this year.

Bammer was one of several players treated for heat exhaustion.

Fifth seed Eleni Dandiilidou powered past Japan's Erika Takao 6-4 6-4 to set up a quarter-final match with ninth seed Severine Bremond.

Japan's Aiko Nakamura spoiled Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva's dream of ending her career with a title after winning 6-4 6-3. She will play American sixth seed Meghann Shaughnessy who beat Germany's Julia Schruff 6-3 6-1.

Reuters PDS VV1803