HAMBURG, Germany, May 16 (UPI) -- Lleyton Hewitt of Australia has successfully navigated the early-round hazards and reached the quarterfinals of the $2.33 million Tennis Masters Series -- Hamburg.
Hewitt became the first top seed to advance to the last eight of the claycourt event in seven years on Thursday by beating No. 14 Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-3.
Second seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, sixth seed Marat Safin of Russia and 11th seed Roger Federer of Switzerland also reached the quarterfinals. However, No. 7 Tommy Haas of Germany and No. 13 Andy Roddick of the United States were knocked out by unseeded opponents.
Despite having won just one of his 14 career titles on clay, Hewitt managed to become the first top seed to earn a quarterfinal berth here since Andre Agassi accomplished the feat in 1995. The top seed has won the Hamburg title just three times since 1980. Ivan Lendl triumphed in 1987 and 1989, and Stefan Edberg in 1992.
A two-time winner on tour this year, Hewitt battles Safin in the quarterfinals in a meeting of the last two U.S. Open champions. The runner-up here in 2000, Safin outdueled Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5.
Kuerten, a two-time Hamburg winner who beat Safin to win the 2000 final, moved into his second quarterfinal of the year, posting a 7-5, 6-2 victory over No. 15 Guillermo Canas of Argentina.
The two-time reigning French Open champion meets Federer in the quarterfinals. The Swiss No. 1 reached the last eight at Hamburg for the first time, defeating Romanian qualifier Adrian Voinea 7-5, 6-4, in just 70 minutes.
Spain's Tommy Robredo upset Haas, 6-4, 6-4, to reach his second straight Tennis Masters Series quarterfinal. Robredo goes up against Stefan Koubek in the last eight. The Austrian prevailed over Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui, the 16th seed, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2.
In Thursday's biggest surprise, French qualifier Julien Boutter recorded nine aces and 33 winners en route to knocking off Roddick, 6-3, 7-5.
Boutter, who conquered Spaniards Albert Montanes and Alex Corretja in the previous two rounds, faces Max Mirnyi in the quarterfinals. The Belarus native outlasted Argentine qualifier Mariano Zabaleta, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
