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Melzer, Starace Win First Of Three Matches; Ljubicic Wins All-Croatian Battle

Umag, Croatia

Ivan Ljubicic© ATP Studena Croatia OpenIvan Ljubicic will meet Potito Starace later on Friday.

Jurgen Melzer and Potito Starace won the first of three matches they will be required to play on Friday at the ATP Studena Croatia Open, after no play was possible on Thursday due to torrential rain.

Second seed Melzer required just 46 minutes to beat Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-0 on Friday morning for a place in the quarter-finals in Umag.

Melzer, hit four aces and saved both break points he faced, to improve to a 35-17 match record on the season, highlighted by a runner-up finish at last week's German Open Tennis Championships and a run to the Roland Garros semi-finals.

Melzer will next meet Italian Andreas Seppi in a repeat of last week's Hamburg semi-final. Seppi overcame Belgian Olivier Rochus, the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships runner-up (l. to Fish), 6-4, 6-2 in 81 minutes. Seppi levelled his season tally to 19-19.

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Third seed Ivan Ljubicic, who is attempting to win his second ATP World Tour title of the season, battled past Croatian compatriot and World No. 153 Ivan Dodig 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in two hours and 32 minutes. Ljubicic, the BNP Paribas Open titlist (d. Roddick) in March, improved to a 17-10 record, will next face Italian Starace.

DEUCE Magazine: Ljubicic Turns A New Page (May 2010)

Starace advanced to his fifth ATP World Tour quarter-final (or better) this year after defeating Bjorn Phau of Germany 6-4, 6-0 in 61 minutes. He has a 19-17 season mark.

Each second-round winner will be required to play their quarter-final matches later on Friday. Melzer and Starace are also scheduled to play doubles matches.

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