Hamburg, Germany (Sports Network) - Top seed Nicolas Almagro and
long-time German favorite Tommy Haas were among Friday's quarterfinal winners
at the $1.1 million German Tennis Championships.
The Spanish world No. 10 Almagro got past sixth-seeded German Philipp
Kohlschreiber 7-5, 7-5 on the red clay at Rothenbaum Tennis Arena.
Almagro was last week's runner-up in Bastad and last year's Hamburg
runner-up to France's Gilles Simon.
Up next for the quality Spaniard will be third-seeded world No. 14 Argentine
Juan Monaco, a 6-3, 7-5 victor against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Day 5.
Monaco was a finalist in Germany last week, in Stuttgart.
The other Hamburg semifinal will pit hot fourth-seeded Marin Cilic against the
resurgent wild card Haas. Cilic topped Spaniard Albert Ramos 6-4, 7-6 (7-5),
while the 34-year-old Haas upended seventh-seeded fellow German Florian Mayer
6-1, 6-4.
Cilic is fresh off his clay-court title in Umag in his native Croatia last
week. Haas stunned the tennis world by beating Wimbledon champion Roger
Federer in a title match in Halle on his native German soil last month. The
sweet-swinging former world No. 2 has now won nine of his last 11 matches on
tour.
The 2012 Hamburg champion will collect $265,000.
The Sports Network