Seeds tumble in Umag

Davydenko, Melzer and Ljubicic all out

Last updated: 30th July 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Seeds tumble in Umag

Ljubicic: straight sets defeat

Home favourite Ivan Ljubicic was one of three notable casualties at the Studena Croatia Open.

The third seed surprisingly lost his quarter-final in Umag in straight sets to Italian Potito Starace, with both men playing their second matches of the day as the tournament organisers battled to make up for time lost.

That completed a last eight laced with upsets after the top two seeds, Nikolay Davydenko and Jurgen Melzer, were also eliminated.

Davydenko and Ljubicic were expected to meet in the semi-finals, but the Russian - who had eased into the last eight on Wednesday, hammering Stephane Robert 6-1 6-2 - came unstuck against Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2 6-1.

The home fans would have been lifted as that result appeared to ease Ljubicic's route to the final after a 4-6 6-4 6-2 win over local wildcard Ivan Dodig in the second round.

But their happiness turned to despair as two breaks saw Starace take the opening set 6-4 and the world number 64, who had hammered Germany's Bjorn Phau 6-4 6-0 earlier in the day, saved two set points from 6/4 down in a second-set tie-break to complete a 6-4 7-6 (8/6) win.

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