BANGKOK - Top tennis seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia ground out a 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 victory against German newcomer Benjamin Becker today to reach the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open.
Ljubicic served up 16 aces and broke clear at 5-5 in the second set as Becker struggled to return serve
on his backhand.
"It took a while, but I realised it would be difficult," Ljubicic told Reuters.
"He showed everyone how well he can play, but a lack of concentration in the second to last game cost him the match."
Third seed James Blake of the United States earlier breezed through to the last eight with a 6-3 6-2 win over Monaco's Benjamin Balleret.
Blake barely gave Balleret time to find his feet, finishing him off in 54 minutes to set up a clash with Finn Jarkko Nieminen, who beat Canada's Frank Dancevic 2-6 7-6 6-4.
"It's so far so good and I hope I can keep playing like that," Blake told a news conference.
Blake arrived in Bangkok a day after the Americans' Davis Cup defeat by Russia and barely had time to prepare for this week's hardcourt competition.
"It's not easy coming here from playing on clay," he said. "It could have been difficult."
Former world number one Marat Safin had to battle his way into the next round for a second day running, beating Frenchman Julien Benneteau 7-6 6-7 6-2.
Safin appeared annoyed as Benneteau kept returning his powerful serves, triggering bouts of screaming and racket throwing by the fiery Russian, who has not won a tournament since January 2005.
Safin told a news conference: "I'm disappointed that I've found myself in a tough position two days running against someone who was winning without doing anything special."
Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan moved a step closer to his dream of winning an ATP tour title on home soil with a 6-4 5-7 6-2 victory over Russian Mikhail Ledovskikh to set up a match with Tim Henman, who won his all-British tie with Alex Bogdanovic 6-3 5-7 6-1.
Henman took two hours and 16 minutes to get past Bogdanovic in his second all-British tie of the tournament, having seen off teenager Andy Murray in the opening round on Wednesday.
Seventh seed Robby Ginepri of the US served up 14 aces in his defeat of Thailand's Danai Udomchoke 6-3 6-3 to make the final eight.
Germany's Mischa Zverev beat compatriot Rainer Schuettler 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 and will face Safin in the quarter-finals.
- REUTERS
BANGKOK - Top tennis seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia ground out a 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 victory against German newcomer Benjamin Becker today to reach the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open.
Ljubicic served up 16 aces and broke clear at 5-5 in the second set as Becker struggled to return serve
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