Somdev Dev Varman celebrates his victory over Carlos Moya at the Chennai Open on Thursday. Picture courtesy IMG

Chennai: Former world No. 1 and two-time Chennai Open winner Carlos Moya was dumped out of the tournament Thursday by Somdev Devvarman of India, a two-time U.S. collegiate champion, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Making the first ATP Tour quarter final of his career, the 23-year old Somdev will now meet fourth seed Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, who outplayed Czech player Ivo Minar 6-1, 6-4 in Round II.

Third-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia also advanced to the quarter finals with a deft 6-0, 6-4 victory over Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin.

Somdev produced an inspired display to win the two hours and 14 minutes in hot conditions.

The Spanish won the first set comfortably but Somdev, who spent his formative years in Chennai, delighted the partisan crowd when he grabbed the second set.

The highest-ranked Indian at 202, Somdev broke Moya in the third game of the final set as he wore down the former French Open champion for the biggest victory of his career.

Moya, the 2004 and 2005 champion, said he was disadvantaged by organisers scheduling matches in the heat of the Chennai afternoon to make up for matches that had been delayed by rain.

In the quarter finals, the No. 27-ranked Cilic will meet seventh-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, who Thursday overcame Israel’s Dudi Sela 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in the second round.

Others advancing to the last eight were fifth-seeded German Rainer Schuettler, eighth-seeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers of Spain and Bjorn Phau of Germany.

Schuettler won 6-4, 6-2 against Simon Greul in an all-German contest, while Granollers coasted to a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Andreas Beck of Germany and Phau outplayed Flavio Cipolla of Italy 6-1, 6-2.

Mahesh Bhupathi was the lone Indian surviving in the doubles event along with his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles as the second seeded duo of Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy were shocked in the first round.

The top seeded pair of Bhupathi and Knowles advanced to the quarter finals after a hard fought 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (10-8) win over wild card entrants Somdev Dev Varman and Prakash Amritraj.

However, the pair of Paes and Dlouhy, who were expected to clash with Bhupathi and Knowles in the final, were made to pack their bags after a 6-4, 2-6, 7-10 loss to the German pair of Bjorn Pjau and Rainer Scheuttler. (AGENCIES)