Daniela Hantuchova in action against Anastasia Rodionova during their Round II match of the Sunfeast Open at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday. Hantuchova won 6-2, 6-1. Telegraph pictures

Calcutta: It was a different woman who broke down during a Wimbledon three-setter back in 2003.

Daniela Hantuchova is more confident now, assured of her place under the sun. The 6-2, 6-1 deconstruction of Anastasia Rodionova on Thursday had an air of inevitability to it. Coming just a few days after her first round exit in New York, that is saying a lot.

The unseeded Rodionova is no mean player. In mid-April this year she reached a career-high ranking of 67. She had accounted for Hana Sromova in straight sets in Round I and has the ability to match Hantuchova from baseline.

The Slovak got her tactics right. The very first game saw her approaching the net and finishing off the point with a neat volley. That set off the tone of the Sunfeast Open second round match.

In the 57 minutes that followed, the second seed enthralled the raucous few with a heady mix of power hitting and delectable touch.

She will take on Yung-Jan Chan of Chinese Taipei in the quarter finals on Friday.

Hantuchova achieved breaks in the second, sixth and eighth games to claim the first set.

The Russian world No.94 called for the trainer before the second set got underway. She had trouble moving, and Hantuchova exploited that to the hilt.

Rodionova, who is the only the second player in WTA Tour history to have been disqualified during a match, surrendered meekly in the end.

Later in the night, British girl Anne Keothavong snuffed out flickering Indian hopes, beating Sunitha Rao 6-3, 6-2 in an amazing display of athleticism.

Sunitha, who at times took the fight to her opponent, lacked the weapons to really test the British world No.144 in the end. She tried hard, but a weak serve and lack of depth in her groundstrokes proved decisive.

The Briton, who practises with Sunitha and is well aware of her game, controlled the pace of the match.

Sunitha was full of enthusiasm to begin with. She chased every ball and was mightily egged on by a young crowd.

Her limitations, however, were far too many. In order to break Keothavong’s rhythm, Sunitha tried to come up a few times but the approach shots were not deep enough and often she was found wanting.

In the end, the US-born appeared to have run out of steam. Sunitha later admitted it during the post match press conference.

“I need to be stronger and faster to play a more physical game. I am fitter than before but still not where I need to be. The match has revealed what I need to work on.”

Keothavong will take on Obziler in quarters.

In another evening match, Mariya Koryttseva of Ukraine brought down high-flying American teenager Vania King in straight sets.

King, who had sent top-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli packing on Tuesday night, crashed out of the WTA Tier III meet, losing 1-6, 2-6.

The win pitts Koryttseva against temperamental Belarusian Tatiana Poutchek in the quarter finals.

Poutchek had earlier moved into the last eight with a 6-3, 6-1 win over cool Swede Sofia Arvidsson.

The world No.100 fretted, fumed, threw her racket, yet came out victorious owing to a marvellous all-court game.

Seventh-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta carved out a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Akgul Amanmuradova to move into the last eight.

Tara Iyer was out in the singles earlier. On Thursday, her doubles campaign, too, came to an end as the Indian, paired with Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, lost 1-6, 7-5, 4-10 to Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva.