Top seed Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia and number two Nicolas Almagro of Spain eased into the quarter-finals of the $450,000 ATP Chennai Open on Thursday. World number nine Tipsarevic outplayed Indian wildcard Yuki Bhambri 6-1, 6-3 in an hour on the centre court of the Nungambakkam tennis stadium.
The 10th-ranked Almagro had an even easier passage into the last eight after Steve Darcis of Belgium withdrew from the second round match with a shoulder injury. Tipsarevic, a semi-finalist in the last two editions in Chennai, played with the kind of authority that helped the Serb break into the top 10 for the first time last year. He handed the 19-year-old Bhambri a tennis lesson with three breaks in the opening set and one more in the second to easily wrap up the match. "It was good start to the season, hope I can continue like that," said Tipsarevic, who received a bye in the first round.
"I am not looking too far ahead, just want to take it one match at a time." Tipsarevic plays Belgian wildcard David Goffin in Friday's quarter-final. The 21-year-old Goffin, who upset seventh-seed compatriot Xavier Malisse in the first round, came from behind to knock out Andreas Beck of Germany 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Almagro, who got a first-round bye, said he was disappointed at having to wait one more day for his first singles match of the season. Sugita, a winner over eighth seed Olivier Rochus of Belgium in the first round, needed a fifth match point to defeat Yen-Hsun Lu of Taiwan 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in two hours and 21 minutes.
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