Davydenko into quarters, facing Safin next in Moscow
10/10/2008 17:00
Top seed and two-time defending champion Nikolay Davydenko wasted no time
in booking his quarterfinal spot at the ATP Kremlin Cup yesterday, knocking out
Spaniard Guillermo Garcia Lopez 6-1, 6-1 in just 55 minutes.
The Russian, who
converted five of 10 break points and only dropped three points behind his first
serve, is bidding for his fourth title in Moscow.
The only player to have won
three or more consecutive titles in the Russian capital is Yevgeny Kafelnikov,
who reigned from 1997- 2001.
The 27-year-old Davydenko is closing in on one
of the four remaining berths at Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai.
In the
quarterfinals, Davydenko will face seventh-seeded compatriot Marat Safin, who
recovered from dropping the second set 6-0 to prevail 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 against
Frenchman Julian Benneteau.
Davydenko and Safin have met six times previously
at ATP level, with Davydenko winning their past four encounters to lead the
head- to-head 4-2.
The 28-year-old Safin is making his 11th appearance in his
home- town tournament and reached the final in 2006 when he lost to Davydenko --
it was his last appearance in an ATP final.
Viktor Troicki prevailed in an
all-Serbian clash against Janko Tipsarevic, defeating the No. 8 seed 6-3, 6-4 to
reach his fourth ATP quarterfinal of the season.
Troicki now will face German
Mischa Zverev, who edged out Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 2-6, 6-1.
Igor
Kunitsyn is the third Russian to reach the quarterfinals after breaking serve
four times in dismissing American Robby Ginepri 6-4, 6-3.
French fourth seed
Paul-Henri Mathieu completed the quarterfinal line-up with a hard-fought 6-7
(3), 7-5, 7-6 (0) victory over Beijing finalist Dudi Sela.
Xinhua
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