BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Top-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain beat Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in three sets to reach the Copa Claro quarterfinals on Thursday.
Almagro, who won the Brazil Open on Saturday for his eighth ATP title, rallied to defeat Mayer 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3. All of his titles have come on clay — the surface in Buenos Aires.
Almagro converted five of eight break points and had nine aces, compared to Mayer's two. Almagro has won 11 of 13 matches this season and has reached the quarterfinals — or better — three times in this tournament.
The Spaniard will face unseeded Jose Acasuso in the quarterfinals. The Argentine rallied to defeat Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-1 in a 2-hour, 45-minute match.
In later matches Thursday, it was David Nalbandian vs. Juan Pablo Brzezicki and Albert Ramos-Vinolas against Tommy Robredo.
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