New Haven, CT (My Sportsbook) - Top-seeded Russian star Nikolay Davydenko No. 2 seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain and surging American Sam Querrey were third-round winners Wednesday at the $750,000 Pilot Pen Tennis event, a final U.S. Open tune-up.

The 2006 New Haven titlist Davydenko handled 15th-seeded crafty Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 7-5, 6-3 on the hardcourts at Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.

Davydenko's quarterfinal opponent on Thursday will be the sixth-seeded Querrey, who got past German Bjorn Phau 7-5, 6-3. The 6-foot-6 Querrey titled in Los Angeles earlier this month and has appeared in four finals already this season.

Verdasco earned a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory over 16th seed Andreas Seppi of Italy and will now face Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, seventh-seeded Russian Igor Andreev erased Portuguese qualifier Frederico Gil 6-4, 6-4 and 11th-seeded Austrian Melzer toppled eighth-seeded Romanian Victor Hanescu 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-1 on Day 4 here.

In other third-round action, Argentine slugger Jose Acasuso drove out 14th- seeded Russian Igor Kunitsyn 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 and Argentine Leonardo Mayer beat Italian Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-4. Mayer will face Andreev in Thursday's quarters. Also, Florent Serra of France bested American Rajeev Ram 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.

This week's winner will collect $94,000.