No. 3 seed
Mikhail Youzhny overcame a slow start Thursday to lead three Russians into the quarterfinals at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, defeating unseeded American
Paul Goldstein 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
"Again I did not play my best tennis, but was able to raise my game when it was important, at 5-2 down in the first set and in the closing stages of the match," Youzhny said.
Russian qualifier
Igor Kunitsyn stunned No. 5 seed
Greg Rusedski, and wildcard
Dmitry Tursunov ousted No. 8
Filippo Volandri, both in straight sets.
"He played pretty well," Rusedski begrudged his opponent. "The court was a little bit slower and that was advantageous to him. I didn't play as well as I could but I have to give him credit. He played well and that just how tennis goes some days."
Other un-seeds into the quarters were Romanian
Andrei Pavel (d. Saulnier in three), and Italian
Daniele Bracciali (d. Hernych).
On court Friday are (6) Kiefer vs. (4) Mirnyi, (3) Youzhny vs. (WC) Tursunov in an all-Russian, Bracciali vs. (7) Andreev, and (Q) Kunitsyn vs. Pavel.
