Peng Shuai of China reacts after defeating Roberta Vinci of Italy during their match at the 2014 US Open tennis tournament in New York, Aug 29, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Peng Shuai upsets fourth-seeded Radwanska

NEW YORK - Peng Shuai beat another seeded player at the US Open to reach her second straight Grand Slam round of 16.

Two days after upsetting fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, Peng defeated 28th-seeded Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-3 on Friday. The Chinese veteran had gone two years without making it past the second round at a major tournament before her Wimbledon run this summer. But she didn't meet any seeded players in the first three rounds there before losing to eventual champion Petra Kvitova in straight sets.

This time, Peng, ranked 39th, will face 14th-seeded Lucie Safarova who beat 22nd-seeded Alize Cornet later, to try to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Peng said she'll need "more courage" in that match.

She'll have the momentum of two straight sharp performances.

"I don't know how it's on Sunday," she said. "I hope I will be same."

Ninth-seeded Jelena Jankovic also advanced by routing Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-0. The 96th-ranked Larsson had upset Sloane Stephens in the second round.

The 31-year-old Vinci had made the quarterfinals at the US Open the last two years but lost in the opening round at the first three major tournaments of 2014.

With third-ranked Li Na sidelined by a knee injury, Peng's success is giving the fans in China something to cheer.

On the men's side, fourth-seeded David Ferrer advanced to the third round when Bernard Tomic withdrew because of a left hip injury.

Seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov beat Dudi Sela 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, and 20th-seeded Gael Monfils defeated Alejandro Gonzalez 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round.