The Croatian, who led his country to a historic Davis Cup win last year, broke Koubek in the eighth game of the first set and third game in the second to create the platform for victory.

"I have had a great start to the year," said Ljubicic.

"I have won two tournaments and I reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.

"I reached a new level at the end of last season but I think I have surpassed even that now in the early days of 2006."

Ljubicic now has a 2006 record which reads just one defeat- against Marcos Baghdatis in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

His first title of the year came in Chennai, India in January.Enditem

(Source: CRIonline/AFP)