Stockholm, Sweden (My Sportsbook) - Top-seeded Swedish favorite Robin Soderling was an easy second-round winner, while ill second-seeded German Tommy Haas pulled out of the Stockholm Open on Thursday. The world No. 10 French Open runner-up Soderling subdued Italian Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-3 on the indoor courts at Royal Tennis Hall. Soderling was last year's Stockholm runner-up to Argentine star David Nalbandian and also reached the final here back in 2003. Soderling, who titled in Bastad here in Sweden earlier this year, will face Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Friday's quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Haas pulled out of his scheduled match on Day 4, citing the flu. His decision to leave the draw gave Finn Jarkko Nieminen a walkover into the quarters. A Day-4 upset came when Belgian Olivier Rochus overcame eighth-seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. In other second-round play, former Aussie Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus leveled American Robert Kendrick 6-2, 6-2 and French qualifier Arnaud Clement outlasted German qualifier Michael Berrer 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1. Friday's other quarters will pit Baghdatis against Clement, Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci versus 6-foot-6 Swedish wild card Joachim Johansson and Rochus against Nieminen. |
