Associated Press 9y

Seppi into 2nd quarters of 2015

Tennis

ZAGREB, Croatia -- Fifth-seeded Andreas Seppi of Italy reached his second quarterfinals of the young season when he beat James Ward of Britain 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3 at the Zagreb Indoors on Thursday.

Seppi came back from 2-0 down to win the first set, then blew a 4-2 lead in the second. In the third, Seppi overcame another broken serve to prevail in 2 hours, 20 minutes.

His eighth win of the year followed a semifinal showing in Doha, and a fourth-round run at the Australian Open, including a win over Roger Federer.

Another enjoying a good start was third-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, also into his second quarterfinals this year after defeating Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia 6-1, 6-1 in the second round.

Garcia-Lopez saved five break points, and lined up seventh-seeded Viktor Troicki of Serbia, who eased past Go Soeda of Japan 6-3, 6-1. Troicki won 96 percent of points on his first serve and never faced a break point.

Second-seeded Adrian Mannarino of France was upset by Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-1 in their first matchup.

Sijsling lost only three points on serve in the third set, and will appear in his first quarterfinals in 12 months.

Ivan Dodig, the last Croatian in the tournament after Marin Cilic withdrew and top-seeded Ivo Karlovic lost, was beaten by eighth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-3, marking the first time a Croatian has failed to make the last eight.

"First set was crucial. I had a lot of chances and failed to take opportunity," Dodig said. He squandered five set points in the opening set: One at 5-4, two at 6-5, and two more in the tiebreak.

Dodig lost serve only once in the match, at 3-4 in the third set, but it happened to be decisive.

"I remember when we played here four years ago and I lost easily. This time I played better than then," Granollers said. "I feel sorry for the crowd, with no Croats left now in the draw, but Croats won so many titles here before."

Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania came back from a set down, and 5-2 down in the second-set tiebreaker to upset fourth-seeded Gilles Muller from Luxembourg 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4. Muller hit 22 aces, but Berankis broke him twice in the deciding set. Berankis has Seppi next.

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