Lendl Leads Top 7 to Japan Quarterfinal : Tennis: The world’s top-ranked player advances in the $1.5-million open.

Led by top-seeded Ivan Lendl, the top seven men’s seeds advanced to the quarterfinals of the $1.15-million Japan Open on Thursday.

Lendl, the world’s top-ranked player, defeated Joseph Russell 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 in a third-round match on the hard courts of Ariake Colosseum.

Defending champion Stefan Edberg, the No. 2 seed, beat Alex Antonitsch 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-1.

Third-seeded Brad Gilbert lost the first set but rallied to beat Alexander Mronz 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, fourth-seeded Aaron Krickstein trounced Grant Connell 6-3, 6-2 and fifth-seeded Michael Chang beat Patrik Kuhnen 7-5, 6-2.

No. 6 Wally Masur beat Patrick McEnroe 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) and No. 7 Jim Grabb topped Mark Kratzmann 6-4, 6-2. Tenth-seeded Amos Mansdorf beat Scott Davis 7-6 (7-5), 6-7, (4-7), 6-2.

In the women’s quarterfinals, top-seeded Catarina Lindqvist beat Belinda Cordwell 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals.

Sixth-seeded Elizabeth Smylie topped Kumiko Okamoto 6-3, 6-2 and Eva Sviglerova defeated Monique Javer 6-1, 6-4.

Japanese teen-ager Naoko Sawamatsu, 254th in the world, upset Kimiko Date, ranked 69th in the world, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1).