Top seed Maria Sharapova [ Images ] delivered an enigmatic performance but still advanced to the quarter-finals of the Auckland Classic with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova [ Images ], the other grand slam title winner in the field, was bundled out 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by China's Peng Shuai [ Images ] after she squandered a three-games lead in the final set in the first match on centre court.

Seventh seed Elena Vesnina withdrew from her match against Romania's Simona Halep [ Images ] with dizziness while trailling 0-4 in the third set, while Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro [ Images ] was beaten 7-6, 6-1 by British qualifier Heather Watson.

Sharapova followed Kuznetsova on to the newly laid blue Plexicushion courts and after going 3-1 down in the first set she blasted the 27-year-old Voracova away, barely losing a point in the final four games of the set.

The second set was just as erratic, with Voracova jumping out to a 5-3 lead before the US-based Russian stormed back to win the next four games and book a quarter-final against Hungary's Greta Arn [ Images ].

Kuznetsova, however, will make an earlier than planned flight to Sydney [ Images ] after she failed to capitalise on her opportunities against Peng.

She romped through the first set but tightened up in the second to let the Chinese player force the second-round match into a decider.

Kuznetsova raced to a 3-0 lead in the final set but again failed to hammer home the advantage and instead Peng ground the 25-year-old Russian down, sealing the victory in two hours, 13 minutes.

"The only person I can blame is me because I was leading all the time," Kuznetsova told reporters.

"The first set I won easy, the second set I got a break and when you don't take chances, your opponent will.

"She played great today but I had so many possibilities. Even though I lost the second set I was leading 3-0 in the third and (it was like) ... I was stopping every time when all I needed to do to close it was take that one more step," she added.