Three top seeds exit Croatia Open

UMAG, Croatia, July 30 (UPI) -- Top seeds Nikolay Davydenko, Jurgen Melzer and Ivan Ljubicic were all defeated Friday in quarterfinals play of the Croatia Open.

Davydenko, the tournament's top-seed and defending champion, was routed by No. 8-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-1 in 65 minutes. Chela broke Davydenko's serve seven times in eight games and took 65 percent of the points in the quarterfinal match.

Friday's schedule included four second-round matches that were rained out Thursday, meaning four players had to battle through two matches Friday. That included the No. 2-seeded Melzer and No. 3 Ljubicic.

Melzer won his first match in 46 minutes, dropping just one game. But Andreas Seppi, who had a tougher time in his second-round match Friday but still won in straight sets, stunned Melzer 6-1, 6-4 with a pair of breaks in both sets.

Ljubicic was pushed to three sets in his first match Friday and then was ousted by Potito Starace 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) in the day's final match.

Fourth-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero, playing just once Friday, needed only 50 minutes to dump No. 6-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 6-2. He saved all four of the break-point chances he faced.

Saturday's semifinals will have Ferrero going against Chela while Seppi will meet Starace.