MADRID // The American qualifier Robby Ginepri knocked out the fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the Madrid Masters today. The defeat is a major blow for the Russian, who is chasing one of the four remaining places in next month's eight-man Masters Cup in Shanghai, as it came hot on the heels of his quarter-final exit from the Kremlin Cup. In the next round Ginepri will meet Frenchman Gilles Simon, who put out 11th seed James Blake. Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 16th seed, narrowly avoided a similar fate to Davydenko, winning a third set tie-break to beat the impressive Marcel Granollers 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.
A spectacular leap and overhead backhand volley allowed him to break back and level midway through the third set, before he forced the Spaniard into an error to take the tiebreak 7-5. Later tonight, the second seed Roger Federer was to play Czech Radek Stepanek while the defending champion David Nalbandian faced Czech Tomas Berdych. Andy Murray was also anticipating a testing encounter when he takes on "unpredictable" Croatian giant Marin Cilic.
Murray progressed through after his second-round opponent Simone Bolelli was forced to retire injured with the Scot leading 6-0, 2-1. The world No 4 looked in great touch in what was his first singles match since last month's Davis Cup, but Cilic was in similarly impressive form in his own second-round clash when he upset the Spanish 13th seed Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-3. * Reuters