Djokovic survives upset mania in China

BEIJING, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- No. 1-seeded Novak Djokovic won but three other top seeds were beaten Friday in quarterfinal play of the China Open tennis tournament.

Djokovic ousted Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-2 in the only match of the day to play to form. Djokovic saved all seven break points he faced -- all the first set. He took more than two-thirds of the points in the second set in improving to 5-1 lifetime against Simon.

But where Djokovic advanced, No. 2-seeded Andy Murray, third-seeded Robin Soderling and fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko were all eliminated in straight sets.

Ivan Ljubicic took out Murray in 6-3, 6-2 in a 67-minute match. Murray didn't force a break point and won only 12 points in Ljubicic's nine service games.

Soderling fell to eighth-seeded David Ferrer and wild-card entrant John Isner, blasting 18 aces, ousted Davydenko 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.

Isner's win put him in the Saturday semifinals against Djokovic and Ferrer will take on Ljubicic. The winners of those matches move to the Sunday title match with a first-place check for $500,000 at stake.