Davydenko powers into Kremlin Cup quarterfinals

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:24 PM MOSCOW (Ticker) -- Nikolay Davydenko is showing no signs of relinquishing his title at the Kremlin Cup.

The top-seeded Russian needed just 55 minutes to post a 6-1, 6-1 rout of Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in second-round play at the hardcourt event Thursday.

The world No. 5, Davydenko has won the title at this $1 million tournament three times, including each of the last two years.

The 27-year-old will put a 12-match winning streak at this event on the line Friday when he faces No. 7 Marat Safin in an intriguing all-Russian quarterfinal clash.

A former No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion, Safin overcame an uninspiring second set to claim a 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 win over Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

The world No. 40 won his first two meetings with Davydenko, but has dropped the last four encounters, including a defeat here in the 2006 final.

In other action, Viktor Troicki of Serbia forged a 6-3, 6-4 upset of eighth-seeded countryman Janko Tipsarevic to set up a quarterfinal match with Germany's Mischa Zverev - a 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 winner against Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia.

Russia's Igor Kunitsyn reached the quarters with a 6-4, 6-3 win over American Robby Ginepri and booked a match with unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, who upset No. 2 Igor Andreev on Wednesday.

France is well-represented in the bottom half of the draw as fourth-seeded Paul-Henri Mathieu and Fabrice Santoro will contest the other quarterfinal.

Mathieu escaped with a 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-0) win over Israel's Dudi Sela to set up the all-French clash with Santoro, who advanced Wednesday.

First prize is $171,000.