Five of the top eight seeded singles players will be on the court for today's quarterfinals when the USTA-sponsored $50,000 women's pro tennis tournament resumes play at the Eugene Swim & Tennis Club.

No. 1 seed Alina Jidkova of Russia survived a 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4 scare from Morocco's Bahia Mouhtassine in one of three singles matches Thursday that stretched to three sets. No. 2 Marissa Irvin, of Santa Monica, Calif., had an easier time of it, winning 6-2, 6-3 over Julie Ditty of Ashland, Ky.

The match of the day, however, was Ashley Harkleroad's 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-0 win over No. 3 Samantha Reeves of Miami.

Reeves, 23, was leading in the first set when Harkleroad had a breakdown, commenting at one point that she didn't want to play anymore. Reeves, ranked No. 101 in the WTA, won the first set, and play continued with Harkleroad, No. 115, making a comeback.

But Reeves, who was ranked No. 68 this summer, didn't go down easily, first stopping play for a medical timeout and then forcing Harkleroad to win a tiebreaker in order to tie the match at 1-1. In between, the two, who hadn't ever played each other, exchanged words.

"I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was in a little bit of a bad mood because I got down so quick," said the 17-year-old Harkleroad, who like most of the other players was suffering from jet lag after flying in from a tournament in Pittsburgh.

"I was looking good the first two days but today I played horrible. I was down a set and I was watching balls go past me left and right."

Harkleroad said she turned things around in the third set by trying to play smarter and fighting for every point.

"I'm happy I got through OK. I think I got a little help from upstairs," Harkleroad said.

Harkleroad has been described as the American Anna Kournikova due in part to her looks, endorsement contracts and a revealing outfit she wore as a wild card in the 2002 U.S. Open, where she lost in the first round. But she said she takes the comparison as a compliment.

"She's a really good athlete and a very pretty girl. But I don't think we're the same as people or have the same game and style. I think they're referring to other things ... but I just try to be myself," Harkleroad said.

Still, she admits to having experienced intense pressure as a result of the expectations placed on her, especially at such a young age. Among them are clauses in her endorsement contracts with Nike and Babolat that dicate what ranking she needs to attain by a set date in order to reap the full benefits of the contract, which includes bonuses.

She promised to be in a better mood today, when she takes on No. 8 Moshona Washington in a match scheduled for 10 a.m.

"I'm 2-0 against her but she plays well indoors and I played her outdoors when I beat her. She's always real tough," Harkleroad said.