Date:02/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/02/stories/2007110261681900.htm

Sport - Tennis

Baghdatis stops Davydenko

Federer downs Karlovic; Nalbandian dashes Moya’s hopes

Paris: Marcos Baghdatis defeated defending champion Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters.

Baghdatis remains an outside chance for the season-ending event starting a week from Sunday after his victory, which gives him a Paris quarterfinal against Spaniard Tommy Robredo, who beat Guillermo Canas of Argentina 7-5, 7-5.

Britain’s Andy Murray meanwhile took a step closer to qualifying for the season-ending event in China after beating Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-2.

Ivo Karlovic broke Roger Federer’s serve for the first time in his life, but couldn’t stop the Swiss juggernaut from rolling into the third round on Wednesday.

Croatian Karlovic went down 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Federer, who won his seventh title of the season on Sunday, next plays Argentine threat David Nalbandian, who defeated him for the Madrid Masters last month.

Nalbandian put Spain’s Carlos Moya out of the race for the season-ending Masters Cup with a 6-4, 6-4 win.

At Quebec City (Canada), top seed Nicole Vaidisova was eliminated from the WTA Bell Challenge when she was forced to retire after the second set of her first round match against compatriot Renata Voracova. The results: At Paris: Paris Masters: Third round: Richard Gasquet bt James Blake 6-4, 6-4; David Ferrer bt Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-2. Marcos Baghdatis bt Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 6-2; Andy Murray bt Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-2; Tommy Robredo bt Guillermo Canas 7-5, 7-5; Rafael Nadal bt Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3. Second round: Roger Federer bt Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; David Nalbandian bt Carlos Moya 6-4, 6-4.

At Quebec City: WTA Bell Challenge: Second round: Julie Ditty bt Maret Ani 6-3, 6-3; Olga Govortsova bt Alina Jidkova 6-3, 5-0 (retid.); Julia Vakulenko bt Stephanie Dubois 6-1, 2-6, 7-5; Vera Zvonareva bt Severine Bremond 6-3, 7-6(6).First round: Renata Voracova bt Nicole Vaidisova 2-6, 6-3 (retd.); Maret Ani bt Andreja Klepac 6-2, 2-6, 6-1; Sofia Arvidsson bt Meilen Tu 6-2, 6-2; Julie Ditty bt Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-3. — Agencies