DOHA, Qatar, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Top seed Roger Federer of Switzerland advanced to the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open Wednesday but second-seeded Spaniard Albert Costa was not as fortunate.
Federer began the new year by posting a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over compatriot Michel Kratochvil.
Costa was upset by Swedish qualifier Andrea Vinciguerra, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, in their second-round encounter.
Third seed Younes El Aynaoui beat fellow Moroccan Hicham Arazi, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1). El Aynaoui won here last year, one of his three titlesin 2002.
Mikhail Youzhny, the sixth seed from Russia, cruised past Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-1, while eight-seeded Fabrice Santoro of France edged Belgian qualifier Christophe Rochus, 7-5, 6-7 (8-10), 7-5.
In other second-round matches, American Jan-Michael Gambill defeated David Ferrer of Spain, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; Stefan Koubek of Austria routed Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus, 6-1, 6-1; and Spaniard Fernando Vicente beat German qualifier Markus Hantschk, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
In Thursday's quarterfinals, Federer will meet Gambill, Youzhny will take on Vicente, El Aynaoui will face Santoro and Vinciguerra will play Koubek.
