Ivan Navarro upsets defending champion David Ferrer in Ordina Open quarterfinals

Defending champion Ferrer loses in quarters

DEN BOSCH, Netherlands — Ivan Navarro upset defending champion David Ferrer 6-4, 6-2 Thursday in a match between Spaniards to reach the Ordina Open semifinals.

Navarro next plays Raemon Sluiter of the Netherlands. Sluiter defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in this grass-court tuneup for Wimbledon, which begins Monday.

“It feels really nice to beat him,” Navarro said. “Ferrer is a very good friend of mine so I am sorry for him, but today I really had a good feeling.”

Germans Benjamin Becker and Rainer Schuettler also won quarterfinals. Advancing to the women’s semifinals were: top-seeded Dinara Safina, Yanina Wickmayer, Francesca Schiavone and Tamarine Tanasugarn.

Becker, who beat top-seeded Fernando Verdasco in the second round, edged Michael Llodra of France 7-6 (6), 7-5. Becker will play fourth-seeded Schuettler in the semis. Schuettler overpowered seventh-seeded Jeremy Chardy of France 7-6 (7), 3-6, 7-6 (11).

Among the women, Safina defeated No.6 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to set up a semifinal with Tanasugarn, who defeated the Russian in last year’s final. Tanasugarn of Thailand ousted third-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Wickmayer of Belgium set up a semifinal with fifth-seeded Schiavone of Italy by cruising past Kristina Barrois of Germany 6-1, 6-1. Schiavone also had little trouble in her quarterfinal, beating Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-1, 6-3.