Written by
The Sports Network
Zagreb, Croatia (Sports Network) - Third-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny
was a hard-fought quarterfinal winner Friday at the Zagreb Indoors tennis
tournament.
Youzhny needed 2 hours, 42 minutes to stave off eighth-seeded massive-serving
Croat Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (12-10), 3-6, 7-6 (8-6). The 6-foot-10 Karlovic
swatted 22 aces in a losing effort.
Up next for Youzhny will be last year's Zagreb runner-up Michael Berrer, who
moved within one victory of his second straight trip to the final here with a
5-7, 6-4, 6-4 come-from-behind win over Austrian and fellow left-hander Jurgen
Melzer.
Berrer lost to Croatia's Ivan Dodig in last year's finale.
In other quarterfinal action at Dom Sportova, Slovakian Lukas Lacko took out
seventh-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase 6-4, 6-4.
The final match on Friday currently pits a fourth-seeded Dodig against 2007
Zagreb champion Marcos Baghdatis, this week's sixth seed.
The 2012 Zagreb champion will collect $90,000.
The Sports Network