Medibank International

3rd rd defeated by David Nalbandian 6-7 5-7

Argentina's David Nalbandian scored a sweet victory over fierce Australian rival Lleyton Hewitt to power into the semi-finals of the Sydney ATP International on Thursday. The tournament fourth seed dominated with his groundstrokes from the back court as he parcelled up a 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 win over the former world number one in one hour and 48 minutes. Nalbandian, who still trails the feisty Australian 3-2 in career meetings, next has a Friday semi-final with Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

Unseeded Gasquet, a runner-up in last week's Brisbane International, was too strong for compatriot qualifier Jeremy Chardy, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) in an earlier quarter-final. "I think I should have won earlier, or easily in both sets," Nalbandian said. "I was a break up in both sets, but I couldn't make it in the first one, and even in the second one.

"It was a little complicated in both sets, but I won, so that's important."

Nalbandian has had a long, and at times, bitter rivalry with Hewitt since the Australian's 2002 Wimbledon final triumph in straight sets. The pair exchanged sharp words during a changeover in Hewitt's marathon five-set win over Nalbandian in the quarter-finals of the 2005 Australian Open.

Hewitt's ranking has dropped to 74 since hip surgery last August, but he has been playing strongly in the Sydney tournament with victories over France's Julien Benneteau and Serbian Janko Tipsarevic. Hewitt was only playing his sixth match since undergoing the career-saving operation and will head into next week's Australian Open unseeded after reaching the 2005 final against Marat Safin. "I don't think I'm that far away from it," Hewitt said. "Especially because he's one of the best players in the world and probably capable of beating nearly anyone on any surface on any given day.

"I had chances in both sets. It's probably just not having those tough matches against the best players that let me down today." Nalbandian was in control of the majority of his match with Hewitt. He broke the Australian twice in both sets, but double-faulted on break point as he served for the match at 5-4 in the second set after decisively winning the opening set tiebreaker.

2nd rd Lleyton defeated Janko Tipsarevic 7-5 6-4

Four-time champion Lleyton Hewitt has produced his best display of the summer to scorch into the quarterfinals of the Medibank International Sydney with a straight-sets win over Janko Tipsarevic.

Hewitt recovered from an early setback before romping to a 7-5 6-4 victory over the shot-making Serb in oppressive heat at Sydney Olympic Park.

He will next play old enemy David Nalbandian in the quarterfinals.

Playing in Sydney for the first time since demolishing Hewitt in a grasscourt Davis Cup encounter three-and-a-half years ago, the fourth-seeded Nalbandian breezed past Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-1 6-3.

Big-name seeds Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also safely progressed to the last eight with routine wins on Wednesday.

None of them, though, could have been as satisfied as Hewitt, who followed up his scrappy first-round win on Tuesday over Julien Benneteau with a polished performance at Ken Rosewall Arena.

After dropping his opening service game with a double-fault, the Australian rebounded to win 13 of the last 19 games to bury Tipsarevic and book a showdown on Thursday with Nalbandian, his long-time Argentine sparring partner.

1st rd Lleyton defeated Julien Benneteau 5-7 6-2 6-4

FOUR-TIME champion Lleyton Hewitt has scrapped his way into the second round of the Sydney International with a tough three-set victory over unheralded Frenchman Julien Benneteau. Playing in plus-40 degree temperatures in Ken Rosewall Arena, Hewitt's game never really matched the scorching heat as he battled to an unconvincing 5-7 6-2 6-4 win over of the world No.48.

Hewitt will meet Janko Tipsarevic on Wednesday for a place in the quarter-finals for the seventh time in a row in Sydney after the Serb ousted American eighth seed Mardy Fish 6-4 3-6 6-4. Australia's former world No.1 will need to step it up against Tipsarevic, a talented shotmaker who stretched Roger Federer over five sets at last year's Australian Open.

Contesting his first ATP match since undergoing hip surgery last August, Hewitt looked a shadow of the player who once reeled off 20 straight wins at Sydney Olympic Park. He struggled from the outset, double-faulting to gift Benneteau a service break and a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

He broke back three games later with a lovely forehand pass only to concede the set with successive forehand errors while serving at 5-6. The dogged baseliner rebounded quickly to break the Frenchman to love in the opening game of the second set.

Hewitt grabbed a double break for a 4-1 advantage before levelling the match at a set apiece with another crisp forehand crosscourt pass. But even after breaking Benneteau in the first game of the deciding set and then holding for 2-0, Hewitt continued to make hard work of it. He dropped serve with a netted backhand to hand the Frenchman a lifeline and then had to fend off further break points in the eighth game.

Hewitt hung tough, though, and eventually prevailed after two hours and five minutes.