Marcos Baghdatis defeated Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-2 to head into the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarters on Wednesday.
The Cypriot world number 57, who knocked out fifth seed Viktor Troicki in the opening round, broke Pospisil in the ninth game to clinch the first set.
Baghdatis then bolted off the gates in the second set, breaking the Canadian twice for a 3-0 lead before wrapping up the match in 65 minutes.
The Cyprus number one will now face fourth seed Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut who blew away South Korean teenager Hyeon Chung off the courts 6-0, 6-1 in just 53 minutes.