Mixed fortunes for Russian pair

Kafelnikov only needed one break of serve to win

Defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov moved into the quarter-finals of the Kremlin Cup with a comfortable 6-3 7-6 victory over Argentine David Nalbandian.

However his compatriot, Marat Safin, slumped to a surprise defeat against Dominik Hrbaty.

As well as contrasting success on court, the pair received mixed reactions from the court-side crowd.

The tournament chairman, Shamil Tarpishchev, recently revealed he was considering selling the cash-strapped tournament to China unless he could secure much needed funds.

I have never been so humiliated in my whole life

Marat Safin

However Kafelnikov delighted the home fans, who hold him in high esteem, when he assured them that the Kremlin Cup would stay in the Russian capital.

"I will buy the tournament with my own money if I have to in order to keep it in Moscow," said Kafelnikov, aiming to win the title for a fifth successive year.

In stark contrast, Safin was roundly booed following his 6-0 4-6 7-6 defeat at the hands of the unseeded Slovak Hrbaty.

"It was a terrible feeling to hear the fans whistle and boo me," said Safin.

"I have lost all desire to play in Russia again. I have never been so humiliated in my whole life."

Safin recovered from a slow start to earn a match point in the deciding set.

Second-seeded Safin suffered on and off court

However Hrbaty survived, broke back and forced a tie-break in which the Russian squandered a 4-2 lead to lose 7-5.

Elsewhere former two-time Kremlin Cup winner Marc Rosset of Switzerland also caused an upset, knocking out France's Fabrice Santoro 6-2 6-4.

Rosset, a pre-tournament qualifier, now faces Germany's Nicolas Kiefer, who also defeated another Frenchman in Jerome Golmard 6-4 6-3.

Kiefer's fellow compatriot Tommy Haas also moved into the next round after beating Sweden's Thomas Enqvist 7-5 6-2.

Kafelnikov will face fifth seeded Swede Thomas Johansson in the quarter-finals, while Hrbaty will take on the Czech Republic's Jiri Novak, who earlier defeated Guillermo Canas 7-6 7-6.