World number five Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia [ Images ] and former French Open [ Images ] champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina were the biggest casualties in second-round matches at the Hamburg Masters on Wednesday.

Third seed Ljubicic, the highest seed left in the draw, was thrashed 6-2 6-0 by Argentina's Jose Acasuso while Gaudio, the number six seed, lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to Frenchman Gilles Simon.

German Nicolas Kiefer [ Images ], ranked nine for the tournament, was the only other seed to fall on the red clay at the Am Rothenbaum, disappointing the home fans on centre court by losing 6-2, 6-2 to the towering Max Mirnyi [ Images ] of Belarus.

Number four seed Nikolay Davydenko [ Images ] of Russia [ Images ] strolled into the third round, beating Italy's [ Images ] Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-2 to set up a clash with Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.

Gaudio, who won at Roland Garros [ Images ] in 2004, looked to be in a strong position at 3-0 up in the final set, but the 21-year-old Simon fought back and will play Mirnyi in the next round.

Ukrainian-born Davydenko, a semi-finalist here and at the French Open in 2005, was forced to retire from his third-round match in Rome last week with a leg injury.

But he came through easily on Wednesday against the tall Italian Seppi and is on course to meet fifth-seeded American James Blake [ Images ] in the quarter-finals.

Blake saw off British teenager Andy Murray [ Images ] on Wednesday, winning 6-3, 6-3.

The tournament has its weakest field in years after the world's top two players and the top two seeds, Roland Garros champion Nadal and last year's Hamburg winner Roger Federer [ Images ], pulled out due to fatigue.

Argentina's David Nalbandian [ Images ], Andy Roddick [ Images ] of the U.S. and Australia's [ Images ] Lleyton Hewitt [ Images ] had already withdrawn and only five of the world's top 10 started the event.