STUTTGART (Germany), July 11: Fourth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber reached the quarter-finals of the Stuttgart Cup on Thursday by beating Yuri Schukin 6-3, 6-3.
Kohlschreiber, who is Germany’s top Davis Cup player, broke the Kazakhstan qualifier’s first service game and raced to a 5-1 lead before winning in 80 minutes at the clay-court event.
The 35th-ranked Kohlschreiber next plays Juan Martin Del Potro, a 19-year-old Argentine who defeated sixth-seeded Simone Bolleli of Italy 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic beat Brian Dabul of Argentina 7-6 (5), 0-6, 7-6 (5) after having replaced defending champion Rafael Nadal when he pulled out with knee problems after winning Wimbledon on Sunday.
Hernych, ranked 134th, was eliminated in qualifying until Nadal’s injury gave him a second chance in the main field.
Results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Second round: 8-Eduardo Schwank (Argentina) bt Andreas Beck (Germany) 7-6(5), 6-2; 4-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) bt Yuri Schukin (Kazakhstan) 6-3, 6-3; Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) bt 5-Simone Bolelli (Italy) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) bt Brian Dabul (Argentina) 7-6(5), 0-6, 7-6(5).
KIEFER OUT
GSTAAD (Switzerland): German sixth seed Nicolas Kiefer dealt the Swiss Open another blow on Thursday when he became the second player in two days to hobble out of the tournament.
The 31-year-old, who was suffering from a foot injury, had only recently recovered after missing a year from with a wrist injury which required surgery.
On Wednesday, number eight seed Guillermo Canas of Argentina went into the second round without hitting a ball when Belgian Kristof Vliegen pulled out ill.
Kiefer hurt himself in a doubles match but waited until the last minute before handing a place in the quarter-finals to Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
The German was playing Gstaad for the first time since 2000 after competing in the alpine venue in 1997 and 1998 and reaching a pair of quarter-final spots.
The 88th-ranked Garcia-Lopez goes through with his 15th win of the season and faces Russian third seed Mikhail Youzhny who defeated Flavio Cipolla of Italy 6-3, 6-2.
Another seed went out on the fast clay courts at 800-metre altitude with Romanian Victor Hanescu winning a two-and-a-half-hour battle over number four Ivo Karlovic 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (13/11).
Despite 28 aces from the towering Croatian in a match where all five break points went for nought, number 80 Hanescu, playing the event for the first time in four years, reached the last eight.
There he will face rising French youngster Jeremy Chardy, who overcame German Dominik Meffert 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) in another marathon in just under three hours.
Number 103 Chardy made a surprise run to the fourth round at Roland Garros, defeating seventh seed David Nalbandian en route.
Results:
Second round: 3-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt Flavio Cipolla (Italy) 6-3, 6-2; Jeremy Chardy (France) bt Dominik Meffert (Germany) 6-7(1), 7-6(5), 7-6(4); Victor Hanescu (Romania) bt 4-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-6(11); Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) bt 6-Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) walkover.
FERRER IN QUARTER-FINALS
BASTAD (Sweden): Top-seeded David Ferrer and No 3 Tommy Robredo won in straight sets on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Swedish Open.
Ferrer, the defending champion, beat Boris Pashanski of Serbia 7-5, 6-1. Robredo defeated Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman 6-2, 6-3.
It was Bjorkman’s last singles match at the clay-court tournament. The 36-year-old Swede, a nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion, is retiring after this season. He has won six doubles titles at Bastad.
Ferrer will play eighth-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden and Robredo will take on seventh-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in the quarter-finals.
Soderling, the last Swede in singles, downed Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-3, 6-3, while Nieminen beat Steve Darcis of Belgium 6-3, 6-1.
Results:
Second round: 8-Robin Soderling (Sweden) bt Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-3, 6-3; 3-Tommy Robredo (Spain) bt Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 6-2, 6-3; 7-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) bt Steve Darcis (Belgium) 6-3, 6-1; 1-David Ferrer (Spain) bt Boris Pashanski (Serbia) 7-5, 6-1.—Agencies
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