Maria Sharapova advanced to the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart Open after beating Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 6-1 on Thursday.
In her second match after a 15-month doping ban, Sharapova hit nine aces and held her serve throughout the match. She converted three of her four break points.
The five-time Grand Slam champion and former Number 1, who lost her ranking due to the suspension and entered the event on a wild card, will play Anett Kontaveit of Estonia for a place in the semifinals.
Also, Anastasija Sevastova beat sixth-seeded Johanna Konta 6-3, 7-5 to set up a quarterfinal match against Simona Halep.
Laura Siegemund, a finalist last year, defeated the 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3, and Carla Suarez-Navarro beat Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-4.
(With inputs from AP)
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