Tennis: Gonzalez blasts through opposition

Fernando Gonzalez in action.

Only the bravest would dare to bet against Fernando Gonzalez breaking a 30-year drought to be back-to-back winner of the Open.

The top seed needed less than an hour to dispatch brave Czech qualifier Ivo Minar 6-1, 6-4 last night to book his place in today's feature Heineken Open quarter-final against equally hard-hitting Croatian Mario Ancic.

In another comprehensive stadium court display at Auckland's ASB Tennis Centre, Gonzalez came from behind in both sets to blast his way past the hapless Minar to win in straight sets following the day-long trend.

With Nicolas Massu also through - and in the other half of the draw - there remains the tantalising prospect of an all-Chilean final on Saturday.

New Zealand's Onny Parun won in successive years - 1975-76.

Massu, the first of the Chileans on court yesterday, began tentatively against unseeded Christophe Rochus who was trying to join his younger brother Olivier in the last eight.

Down 0-3, Massu hit back to win the next three games, fell 3-4 behind as Rochus held and then closed out the first set 6-4 in 51 minutes.

With the fight draining from his 27-year-old opponent, Massu, 26, did not keep him waiting, racing home 6-2 in a tick over half an hour aided by five second-set aces (nine in total) and just one double fault (four in total).

Unseeded Massu now faces a potentially more difficult task meeting seventh seeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen in today's quarter-finals.

Nieminen joined the trend of the day session by beating Paul Goldstein (US) in straight sets.

All matches were won without a break of serve (and only one tiebreaker).

Second seed David Ferrer continues to work his way quietly through to the big money rounds.

Nestled at the bottom of the draw and given the first assignment of the third day, Spaniard Ferrer was all business in seeing off Dutch qualifier Raemon Sluiter - for the fourth time in as many meetings - in straight sets.

Winning 68 per cent of points on serve, Ferrer cruised home 6-4, 6-3 in a little over an hour to book his quarter-final with last year's beaten finalist and sixth seed Olivier Rochus.

Against Czech qualifier Jan Hernych, who carried the hopes of the qualifiers all the way to last year's semifinals, Rochus was at his steady best, needing 35 minutes to take the first set 6-1.

The second was a drawn out affair - almost an hour - as Rochus fought back from 0-3 to take a 4-3 lead on serve.

Aided by seven aces, Hernych, who reached a career-high ranking of 60 last July, was still in it at 5-5 but then dropped serve for the third time in the set to lose 5-7 and depart.

Most early interest centred on the second match on stadium court and Andy Murray's clash with fifth seed Ancic who had earlier beaten New Zealand wildcard Mark Nielsen in straight sets.

With Croatian support on both sides of the court, Ancic settled quickly, firing down the first of six aces to take the opening game after Murray had battled to deuce.

With few drawn-out games and only Murray's loss of serve in the sixth game to tip the balance so he trailed 2-4, the set lasted just 34 minutes.

The second set was more of a contest with Murray holding sway aided by two service games to love as he clawed back from 0-2 to take what should have been a set-winning 5-3 advantage.

The pressure then told. Leading 5-4 on serve he blew two set points then handed Ancic the chance with two untimely double faults.

Grabbing the initiative, Ancic stormed home, eventually taking it 7-4 in the tiebreaker to reach the quarter-finals and the showdown with Gonzalez.

"It was a very tough second-round draw and could have gone either way," said Ancic.

"I was a little bit rough with my game in the second set but came back well. It was a great match for the crowd."

Of his impending match-up with Gonzalez, Ancic said: "I have played Fernando three times.

"He has a very powerful game so I must try and stay aggressive. I love this place, you feel very connected to this place."

Also in the top half of the draw, unseeded Stanislas Wawrinka and Florian Mayer (Germany) won through in straight sets as surprise quarter-finalists.

Wawrinka, one half of the Swiss doubles combination also through to the quarters after just edging past New Zealanders Dan King-Turner and Mark Nielsen, swamped Spaniard Alberto Martin.

Showing little of what he had in deposing third seed Robby Ginepri a day earlier, Martin bowed out 2-6, 2-6.

Mayer got home by the same score over unseeded Czech Robin Vik in just 55 minutes.

Today's schedule

Stadium court (from 11am): Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) v Florian Mayer (Germany), 7 Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) v Nicolas Massu (Chile), 1 Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) v 5 Mario Ancic (Croatia), then doubles tba, then (not before 7pm) 6 Olivier Rochus (Belgium) v 2 David Ferrer (Spain), then doubles tba.

Court four (remaining two doubles quarter-finals, match-ups and times) tba.