Barcelona - Seventh seed David Nalbandian completed a hat-trick of quarter-final placings at the Barcelona Open on Thursday as he beat Spain's Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-4.

The Argentine also reached the last eight at the Real club in 2004 and in 2007 but stalled in the third round a year ago.

The former Wimbledon finalist is more than likely to line up against king of clay Rafael Nadal if the world number 1 came through as expected later on Thursday in his third-round match with Belgian Christophe Rochus.

Sydney - David Nalbandian struggled for two and a quarter hours to subdue Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-7 (9-11), 6-2, winning the 10th title of his career on Saturday at the Medibank International.

Nieminen, winner of one career trophy three years ago in Auckland, gave the fourth-seeded Argentine multiple frights in their battle played in front of the namesake of the newly christened Ken Rosewall stadium.

Nalbandian now holds a 7-4 lead in his series with number 40 Niemimen, which began in 2002 at Estoril in another final. The winner is the first from his nation to lift the prize in Sydney.

Mar del Plata, Argentina  - David Nalbandian kick-started what the hosts were hoping would be a dream weekend for Argentine as he produced a resounding 6-3,
6-2, 6-3 opening defeat of David Ferrer to open the Davis Cup final on Friday.

Spain's Ferrer had no answer for the South American playing in front of a fervent home crowd as Argentina bid for a first Davis Cup title after losing in two previous finals.

"I played a great match and we got the first point of the weekend," said Nalbandian after the victory lasting a shade under two hours. "I hope it can continue like this.

"It was a quick match played at a high level. I'm ready to play doubles tomorrow if the captain needs me."

Paris - David Nalbandian defeated compatriot Juan Del Potro for the second week in a row, earning a 6-4, 6-0 victory in the third round of the Paris Masters on Thursday.

Nalbandian's victory over his 20-year-old rival also mathematically delayed Del Potro's chance of formally clinching a place in the Masters Cup.

Del Potro has been nursing a painful split toenail for months, with no time to have it removed until after the Davis Cup final with Spain in late November.

He remains on provisional seventh in the race to the eight-man season-wrap event in Shanghai starting a week from Sunday.