Intro:

Number four seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic booked her place in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday, following a hard-fought 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over Romania's Sorana Cirstea in Rome.

Unseeded Italian Flavia Pennetta also made it throught to the last eight, with a crushing 6-0, 6-1 victory over another Czech player, Petra Cetkovska.

Script:

The third round of the Italian Open got underway at the Foro Italico on Thursday, with Petra Kvitova up against Sorana Cirstea, the world number 45.

The number four seed was expected to make light work of Cirstea, but after taking the first set 6-2, the Romanian fought back to take the second 6-0.

So a decider, but Cirstea couldn't maintain her form.

Hitting a long shot to hand Kvitova the match 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

Kvitova will next take on Germany's Angelique Kerber after she swept past her compatriot Juila Goerges.

Home favourite Flavia Pennetta didn't disappoint the crowd when she took on another Czech player, Petra Cetkovska.

The Czech showed little of the form that got her through to the third round and Pennetta stormed through to take the match 6-0, 6-1 in just 74 minutes.

Pennetta will next face Serena Williams for a place in the semis.