Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko continued his winning streak by beating Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the Croatia Open on Wednesday.Davydenko won the German Open on Sunday, and said the weather was much hotter in Umag than in Hamburg.
"When I started to run I felt I had no power," Davydenko said. "(I hit) a couple of winners which helped me, but it was tough.
"I would like to play a night session in the second round."
He'll next play Alberto Martin of Spain, who defeated Slovakian qualifier Martin Klizan 6-4, 6-4.
Second-seeded David Ferrer of Spain squandered a 6-1, 5-3 lead before defeating Daniel Koellerer of Austria, 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-3, but third-seeded Viktor Troicki of Serbia _ a semifinalist in Umag in 2007 _ lost to Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6).
Sixth-seeded Nicolas Almagro beat Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-3 in an all-Spanish match.
The only remaining Croatian player, Ivan Ljubicic, scored his fourth victory in five clashes against Filippo Volandri, defeating the Italian 6-1, 6-4 in his first match since an ankle injury at Eastbourne last month.
Oscar Hernandez of Spain beat Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 7-6 (3), 6-1, and Nicolas Massu of Chile topped wild card Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.