AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Top seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic dodged more raindrops Thursday and moved a step closer to his fourth career semifinal appearance at the Heineken Open.
Novak outlasted American qualifier Robby Ginepri, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3, to reach the quarterfinals of this hardcourt event.
Coming off a 3-0 mark in singles action at last week's Hopman Cup team event, Novak will face Spain's Felix Mantilla Friday.
The 27-year-old Czech won this event in 1996 and reached the semifinals in 1997 and 2002.
Mantilla swept past Denmark's Kenneth Carlsen, 6-4, 6-4.
Two seeded players were upset before rain forced the suspension of two second-round matches and the postponement of all of the quarterfinals.
No. 3 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile was beaten, 6-4, 6-3, in his first career meeting with Spain's David Ferrer. Sixth-seeded American Jan-Michael Gambill, the runner-up last week in Qatar, was ousted by former champion Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-4).
Ferrer will play Hrbaty in Friday's quartefinals.
Fourth seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil split two sets with American qualifier Michael Russell, 4-6, 6-4, before the rain returned. Also halted was the match between Austria's Stefan Koubek and Raemon Sluiter, with Koubek holding a 6-3, 0-1 lead.
Also, seventh seed Guillermo Coria of Argentina dumped Spain's Fernando Vicente, 6-2, 6-2, to set up a quarterfinal meeting with the Kuerten-Russell winner.
Fresh off an uspet victory of second-seeded countryman David Nalbandian, Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta secured the other quarterfinal berth with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over American Vince Spadea.
With rain continuing to wreak havoc at this Australian Open tune-up, the semifinals and final both will be held Saturday.
