Dodig, Baghdatis through in Zagreb
02/03/2012 01:30:19 AM
Defending champion Ivan Dodig overcame a stern test from Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to progress into the quarter-finals of the Zagreb Indoors.
Dodig toiled for two hours and 37 minutes before overcoming the Spaniard 4-6 6-4 6-4 at the indoor hard court event.
Croat Dodig will face another former champion, Marcos Baghdatis, in the final eight after the Cypriot defeated Poland's Lukasz Kubot 6-4 6-2.
The 2007 champion has lost his only prior meeting with Dodig, but feels confident heading into his third ATP quarter-final of the season.
"I kept the momentum. I feel good and hope my rankings will go up," Baghdatis said.
Lukas Lacko caused the biggest stir on Thursday after ousting Russian second seed Alex Bogomolov Jr. in three sets.
Slovakian Lacko led by a set and 3-0 before a determined comeback from the world number 34 forced the match into a third set.
But as he did in the opening set, Lacko dominated the decider to run out a 6-0 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 winner in one hour and 55 minutes.
Bogomolov's Russian compatriot, third seed Mikhail Youzhny, romped past Slovenia's Grega Zemlja 6-1 6-3 in one hour and 16 minutes.
Ivo Karlovic was also a straight-sets winner over Israeli Dudi Sela, with the big-serving Croat firing down 12 aces on his way to a 6-3 6-2 victory.