FLORIANOPOLIS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Former World No. 1 Venus Williams advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA Brazil Tennis Cup on Wednesday with a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Spain's Garbine Muguruza.

The 96th-ranked Muguruza survived three match points before succumbing to the seven-time grand-slam winner after two hours and 12 minutes on court.

Williams, currently ranked No. 20, will meet Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday after the world No.52 overcame Spaniard Beatriz Garcia Vidagany 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

In other second-round matches involving seeded players on Wednesday, Timea Babos upset fourth-ranked Channelle Scheepers 6-1, 6-2 and world No. 7 Kristina Mladenovic eliminated Tatjana Malek 6-2, 6-1.

Melinda Czink, also beat Beatriz Haddad 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), Olga Puchkova overcame Caroline Garcia 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and Monica Niculescuh swept aside Tereza Mrdeza 6-1, 6-1.