Nalbandian eases into last eight

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:19

Seeking to become the first back-to-back champion, top-seed Nalbandian delighted the home crowd in dismissing the unseeded Spaniard in 84 minutes.

Nalbandian, a resident of Cordoba, broke Gimeno-Traver’s serve four times en route to setting up a meeting with Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Ferrero upset fellow Spaniard and seventh seed Marcel Granollers 6-7 (7/9) 6-0 6-3.

Ferrero, who celebrated his 29th birthday last week, has not won a singles title since 2003.

Third-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo secured a spot in the last eight on the opposite side of the draw after beating Argentinean wildcard Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2 3-6 6-4.

Robredo will look to continue his bid for a second trophy in as many tournaments after winning his eighth title in Costa do Sauipe on Sunday against Brazilian qualifier Franco Ferreiro in the next round.

Ferreiro, who qualified for the main draw with three wins and then recorded his first ATP victory in the first round, reached the quarter-finals with a 6-2 6-4 triumph over Pablo Cuevas.

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