Federer Leads Top Three Seeds Into Quarter-finals

© Getty ImagesRafael Nadal is looking to reach the semi-finals in Doha for the first time.

ATP World Tour No. 1 Roger Federer cruised into the quarter-finals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Kazakhstan’s Evgeny Korolev Wednesday at the ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament in Doha.

The top seed is looking to reclaim the Doha title, after lifting back-to-back trophies in 2005 (d. Ljubicic) and ’06 (d. Monfils). He improved to a 17-2 mark at the tournament since making his debut in 2002 with a quarter-final effort (l. to Gambill).

The Swiss made a fast start to the pair’s third encounter, breaking serve in the first game. The No. 53-ranked Korolev soon settled into the match and was able to briefly cut Federer’s lead, but the Swiss immediately regained his advantage and broke serve twice more to seal the first set. Korolev provided a sterner test in the second set and Federer was forced to wait until the 10th game before earning a key service break, which sealed victory for the right-hander after 63 minutes.

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“I thought it was heavy conditions," assessed Federer. "There wasn’t much coming out of the racquet. Sometimes [it was] a bit frustrating because you’re used to more happening, more spin coming out of the court. But you play at night here, when it cools down, and it has an affect on how the match is being played, so you have to construct the points better and be a bit more patient. I think I did that well today. I was against an opponent who’s very dangerous. He’s up and coming as well so it’s nice to get victories against those kind of players.”

Federer next will face a first-time meeting with Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who accounted for Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 7-5.

The 28-year-old Federer, who last season regained the mantle of ATP World Tour Champion, is gearing up for an 11th assault on the Australian Open, where he will look to win his 16th major singles title.

Another of the key contenders for the Australian Open, defending champion Rafael Nadal, continued his smooth progress through the draw in Doha, dismissing his second Italian opponent in a row, Potito Starace, 6-2, 6-2 in 72 minutes. The Spaniard broke serve four times from five opportunities and denied Starace the chance to create any break point chances as he improved to a 6-0 lead in the pair’s career series.

“I think I’m playing well," said Nadal. "It was a little bit of confirmation that I played four straight matches at a very good level. I’m happy to be in the quarter-finals here in Qatar another year. Today was a tough match against Potito; I’ve always had tough matches against him in the past.” 

The 23-year-old Nadal is looking to reach the semi-finals in Doha for the first time, having fallen at the quarter-final stage on his two previous appearances in 2005 (l. to Ljubicic) and ’09 (l. to Monfils).

“Every season it is important to start well," said Nadal, who dismissed the notion that he has anything to prove following an injury-inhibited 2009. "The season is long, so if you want to have chances the important thing is to be there all the time, fighting every week, every match. If I work like this I’m going to have my chances.”

Steve Darcis will be the next challenger to take on World No. 2 Nadal, after the Belgian qualifier followed up his opening win over No. 8 seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez by defeating Moroccan wild card Younes El Aynaoui 6-3, 6-1.

World No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko, seeded third this week, secured his place in the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Switzerland’s Marco Chiudinelli. The Russian saved five of six break points and converted four of the nine opportunities he created in the 83-minute match.

The 28-year-old Davydenko, a three-time former semi-finalist in Doha, comes into 2010 as one of the most in-form players on the ATP World Tour, having captured the biggest title of his career at the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (d. del Potro) in November. He next will face the towering Ivo Karlovic, who fired 20 aces as he battled past German Benjamin Becker 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Fifth seed Viktor Troicki had little difficulty in earning a quarter-final berth, dispatching diminutive Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-2, 6-2 with five service breaks in the 63-minute match. He goes on to meet Pole Lukasz Kubot, who edged Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-2, 7-6(5).