Cycling: Pendleton, Meares ease through to last four

The Olympic rings are reflected in Britain's Victoria Pendleton's visor as she competes during the track cycling women's sprint 1/8 finals at the Velodrome during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 5, 2012.

LONDON (Reuters) - British cycling poster girl Victoria Pendleton and her arch- rival Anna Meares of Australia continued their stroll towards a much anticipated final when they advanced unchallenged into the Olympic sprint semi-finals on Monday.

Defending champion Pendleton, who took the keirin gold on Friday, progressed with an easy 2-0 victory over Olga Panarina of Belarus while Meares brushed aside Ukrainian Lyubov Shiluka by the same score.

Meares could even afford to lose her visor without being bothered as she set up a semi-final meeting with China's Guo Shuang who was the first rider to need a decider to advance since the sprint competition started.

Pendleton, world champion in the discipline, will next take on Germany's Kristina Vogel, who won the team sprint event last Thursday.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ed Osmond)