Ljubicic upset by Malisse at Metz

Metz: Third seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia suffered a second-round exit at the Metz International when he was beaten 7-5 6-2 by Belgian Xavier Malisse on Thursday.

Ljubicic, the world number 17, never found his range against Malisse who mixed his play with cunning shots to set up a quarter-final clash with local favourite and number eight seed Gilles Simon, a 6-1 6-7 6-3 winner over Dutchman Igor Sijsling.

"It's a problem of confidence," Ljubicic, who had not played since a first-round defeat at the US Open, told reporters. "I feel exhausted, mentally. "I lack practice but actually I had no problem with my calf," he added, referring to a strap around his left calf.

His compatriot Marin Cilic, the top seed, struggled past Slovakian Lukas Lacko with a 7-5 7-6 win. He will now face sixth-seeded German Philip Kohlschreiber in the last eight.