SHANGHAI (AFP) - Top seed Jiri Novak fought off a strong challenge from Melle Van Gemerden to book a place in the ATP Shanghai Open quarter-finals, while third seed Guillermo Canas also advanced.
The 29 year-old Czech defeated Van Gemerden of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-7 (7/5), 6-1, while the Argentinean battled to victory over Denmark's world number 161 rank, Kristian Pless, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Canas got off to a quick start by easily snatching the first set, but faltered as a patient Pless forced a third and final set in the one-hour and 41 minute match.
Canas described it as a "tough" match but 17 aces gave him a victory that left him feeling pleased with his progress after a shaky start earlier in the week.
"I'm very confident in my game and I feel that I'm playing a lot better since the first game," said Canas, who was out of action for most of the 2003 season with a wrist injury.
"Twelve months ago I could not have imagined sitting here and and being in the top 30," said Canas, currently ranked 24th in the world.
Canas is looking for his six career ATP title after last capturing back-to back tournaments at Umag and Stuttgart in July and said he was ready to continue his quest against number seven seed Ricardo Mello, who he faces Friday.
The Brazilian struggled in the early going but was able to eventually grind Janko Tipsarevic of Yugoslavia 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
Three-time ATP tournament winner Jan-Michael Gambill of the United States disposed of China's Ben-Qiang Zhu 6-0, 7-6 (7/5). The eight seed will Friday suitup against last year's runner-up Novak.
In other matches at the 380,000-dollar tournament, Davide Sanguinetti of Italy beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, the tournament sixth seed, 6-4, 7-5, while Gilles Muller of Luxembourg also squeezed into the quarter finals with a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 win over American Glenn Weiner.
Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark beat Australian journeyman Wayne Arthurs 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) and Germany's Lars Burgsmuller downed Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France 6-3, 6-3.