ATP

• Davydenko, Ljubicic ousted in Umag

  Umag, Croatia (Sports Network) - Top-seeded and defending champion Nikolay Davydenko and Croatian hero Ivan Ljubicic were among Friday's quarterfinal upset victims at the clay-court Croatia Open.

  The world No.

  6 Davydenko was shown the door by eighth-seeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-2, 6-1, at ITC Stella Maris. Davydenko defeated former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero in last year's Umag championship match.

  Meanwhile, a third-seeded Ljubicic was upended by Italian Potito Starace 6-4, 7-6 (8-6). The 31-year-old Ljubicic captured an ATP Masters title in Indian Wells earlier this season.

  Another quarterfinal upset came when Italian Andreas Seppi subdued second- seeded Austrian lefthander Jurgen Melzer 6-1, 6-4. Melzer reached his first career Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open last month.

  The fourth-seeded former French Open champion Ferrero easily avoided a quarterfinal upset by crushing sixth-seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 6-2 in a mere 50 minutes.

  Ferrero will face Seppi, while Chela will take on Starace in Saturday's semifinals.

  Wins by Seppi and Starace would produce a rare all-Italian ATP final.

  Before the quarterfinals could commence on Friday, four second-round matches had to be staged earlier in the day, as Melzer mauled Czech Jan Hajek 6-1, 6-0; Ljubicic overcame fellow Croat Ivan Dodig 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Starace stifled speedy German Bjorn Phau 6-4, 6-0; and Seppi handled diminutive Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-4, 6-2.

  07/30 16:20:02 ET