Top-seeded and defending champion Nikolay
Davydenko and Croatian hero Ivan Ljubicic were among Friday's quarterfinal
upset victims at the clay-court Croatia Open.
The world No. 6 Davydenko was shown the door by eighth-seeded Argentine Juan
Ignacio Chela, 6-2, 6-1, at ITC Stella Maris. Davydenko defeated former world
No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero in last year's Umag championship match.
Meanwhile, a third-seeded Ljubicic was upended by Italian Potito Starace
6-4, 7-6 (8-6). The 31-year-old Ljubicic captured an ATP Masters title in
Indian Wells earlier this season.
Another quarterfinal upset came when Italian Andreas Seppi subdued second-
seeded Austrian lefthander Jurgen Melzer 6-1, 6-4. Melzer reached his first
career Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open last month.
The fourth-seeded former French Open champion Ferrero easily avoided a
quarterfinal upset by crushing sixth-seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1,
6-2 in a mere 50 minutes.
Ferrero will face Seppi, while Chela will take on Starace in Saturday's
semifinals. Wins by Seppi and Starace would produce a rare all-Italian ATP
final.
Before the quarterfinals could commence on Friday, four second-round matches
had to be staged earlier in the day, as Melzer mauled Czech Jan Hajek 6-1,
6-0; Ljubicic overcame fellow Croat Ivan Dodig 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Starace stifled
speedy German Bjorn Phau 6-4, 6-0; and Seppi handled diminutive Belgian
Olivier Rochus 6-4, 6-2.
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