Stuttgart, Germany (AHN) - Serena Williams made quick work of qualifier Julia Vakulenko in the second set, beating her opponent 7-5, 6-2 Wednesday to reach the quarterfinal round of the Porsche Grand Prix.

Williams was up 4-1 in the first set before Vakulenko started t put up a real fight to get the score to 4-4.

Williams didn't get off to a good start in the second set, dropping her serve in the first game of the second set before going up 3-1.

"I got upset, I went a little crazy," Williams said. "I felt I should have done better. But it's important to stay positive."

Williams, the tournament's seventh seed, made her return to the event for the first time in eight years and will face second-seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat teenager Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

Last year's runner-up, Tatiana Golovin, beat U.S. Open semifinalist Anna Chakvetadze 7-6 (3), 6-1 while fifth-ranked Ana Ivanovic cruised to the second round by thrashing Patty Schnyder 6-0, 6-2.

Ivanovic won the first eight games of the match and whizzed through the first set in a jaw-dropping 18 minutes.

"I really played so well, I didn't do anything wrong," she said. "I was trying to keep up my level but it's hard and the second set was close although the score doesn't show it."

A finalist at Roland Garros, Ivanovic, a semfinal participant at Wimbledon this year, is coming off her third tournament victory of the season after a win in Luxembourg on Sunday.

"I am really enjoying it now, I am confident about my game," she said.

Kuznetsova is seeking her second title of the year at a tournament that features eight of the top 10 players in the world. Only Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams are not present.

Also, Daniela Hantuchova beat Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-3, Kateryna Bondarenko stopped Karin Knapp 7-5, 6-0 and Michaella Krajicek downed Alona Bondarenko 6-3, 6-2.