ESTORIL, Portugal, April 15 (UPI) -- Marat Safin, seeking his first title since 2002, moved a step closer Thursday with a second-round win at the Estoril Open.
Safin, a former world No. 1 who has 11 career titles, defeated Thierry Ascione, 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since the Australian Open.
No. 4 Tommy Robredo, the highest remaining seed in this claycourt tournament, will face Safin. Robredo, whose only career title came in 2001 at Sopot, defeated Mariano Zabaleta, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6).
Robredo has lost three of five matches to Safin.
Irakli Labadze made Max Mirnyi the latest upset victim Thursday. Labadze registered a 6-3, 6-3 win over the sixth-seeded Mirnyi.
Labadze will meet Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Nadal beat fellow 17-year-old Richard Gasquet of France, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
On the women's side, fourth seed Denisa Chladkova and No. 6 Iveta Bensova advanced to a meeting in the quarterfinals.
