Defending champion Lisa Raymond moved through to the quarterfinals of the Kroger St. Jude Cellular South Cup with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over fellow American Tara Snyder.

Raymond, the No. 2 seed who had a bye in the first round, was happy to be back at the place where she claimed the title last year, and was pleased to get through her first match.

"It was a good first round for me," said Raymond. "Tara's had some matches under her belt and she's a good player, she's very feisty out there, so it was a good test for me."

On coming back to Memphis, Raymond said she feels at home on the Stadium Court. "It's great to come back to a tournament as the defending champion," said Raymond. "I loved it here before I won the title, I love playing on that court, I love walking through the doors to the club, and the people are just so friendly here."

Wiser

Comparing her game to last year, the American feels much better prepared for another shot at the title. "I'm definitely a better player than I was 12 months ago," said Raymond. "That doesn't necessarily mean my results will be better, but I'm a lot fitter than I was last year, I'm a year older so hopefully another year wiser."

Also through to the quarterfinals is top seed Silvia Farina Elia who defeated fellow Italian Antonella Serra Zanetti 6-2, 7-5, while American Laura Granville overcame Sandra Cacic 7-6(4), 6-1.