Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated Jonas Bjorkman 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

Nikolay Davydenko of Russia returns the ball to Hyung Taik Lee of South Korea during the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha January 2, 2007. [Reuters]

The Russian will next face Olivier Rochus of Belgium, who beat Federico Luzzi of Italy 6-1, 6-0. Davydenko led the top four seeds into the quarterfinals.

Second-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia defeated Younes El Ayanoui of Morocco 6-3, 6-4, third-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain 6-2, 6-0 and fourth-seeded Andy Murray of Britain ousted Christophe Rochus of Belgium 6-1, 6-3.

Ljubicic plays fifth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, who defeated Gael Monfils of France 6-4, 6-2. Murray takes on Max Mirnyi of Belarus, who beat Swiss Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 6-3.

Baghdatis will play Robin Soderling, who rallied past Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.

Baghdatis, the surprise Australian Open finalist last year, was pleased with his performance.

"I am moving and serving better," he said. "It is good to play well in the first week of the season. It shows that I am ready for the Australian Open."