BERLIN, 1 May 2004 — Top seed Rainer Schuettler’s hopes of a first title on clay ended when Russian Nikolay Davydenko beat him 6-1, 7-6 in the quarterfinals of the Munich Open yesterday. The unseeded Davydenko swept aside the local favorite to take revenge for a second-round defeat by the German in Munich last year.

The 22-year-old Davydenko, who has now beaten Schuettler three times in four meetings, kept his cool when the German attempted to fight back in the second set after a calamitous start. The Russian, a quarterfinalist at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, converted the first match point to win the tiebreak 7-4 after an hour and 45 minutes.

The 28-year-old Schuettler, the beaten finalist in Monte Carlo on Sunday, never found an answer to Davydenko’s powerful baseline play. Davydenko next plays Peruvian Luis Horna, who needed two tiebreaks to beat Czech Radek Stepanek 7-6, 7-6 and advance to the semifinals of an ATP tournament.

Fourth seed Martin Verkerk had earlier reached the last four with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Swiss Michel Kratochvil. Dutchman Verkerk, the only seeded player left in the draw, goes on to meet Belgian Olivier Rochus, who ended Germany’s presence in the tournament by beating qualifier Alexander Waske 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the day’s last match.

Nalbandian Falls in Barcelona Quarterfinals

In Barcelona, Argentine third seed David Nalbandian tumbled out of the Barcelona Open quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 defeat to tenacious Belgian qualifier Kristof Vliegen. Vliegen set the pace for the match by pulling 5-3 ahead in the first set, and although a determined Nalbandian then shrugged off two set points to level at 6-6, he was unable to hold his concentration and handed his opponent the tie-break. The two players seemed almost equally matched in the second set of the two-hour struggle. But the 21-year-old Belgian was not to be denied and, at 5-4 up, broke Nalbandian’s serve to claim his place in the last eight.

Spaniard Tommy Robredo also clinched a semifinal slot with an even more closely fought 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) victory over Chilean fifth seed Fernando Gonzalez yesterday.

An initially tentative Gonzalez gradually found his form, though, breaking Robredo’s serve at 4-4 and going on to take the set 6-4 as his eighth-seeded opponent lost his focus. The Chilean then powered his way to a 5-4 lead in the second set, only to lose his concentration when serving for the match, allowing Robredo to claw his way back to take the set 7-5.

A halt for rain in the third set gave a tired-looking Robredo a welcome break, and he returned with enough energy to claim an easy 7-2 victory in the final tie-break.

Mauresmo Out of Warsaw Cup, Venus in Semis

In Warsaw, French world No. 3 and top-seed Amelie Mauresmo was ousted in the quarterfinals of the $585,000 Warsaw Cup yesterday, losing to fast-improving Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 7-6, 6-1. The young Italian now faces Russian world No. 14 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first semifinal today. The other semi pitches second-seed Venus Williams against another Russian — third-seeded world No. 11 Vera Zvonareva — after both won in straight sets later yesterday.

Holder Mauresmo lost a tie-break (7-2) for the second set, before succumbing to an impressive display of serving from Schiavone.

Williams demolishing Bulgaria’s Magdalena Maleeva 6-1, 6-0. Zvonareva won her quarterfinal against Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi 6-3, 7-5.