Kitzbuhel, Austria – Second seed and former champion Juan Monaco and two-time reigning titlist Robin Haase were among Wednesday's second-round winners at the $540,000 bet-at-home Cup Kitzbuhel tennis event.
The Argentine star Monaco handled Austrian wild card Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-3, 6-4, while the big-serving Dutchman Haase improved to 11-0 at this tournament by humbling German Daniel Brands 6-4, 6-1 on the red clay at Kitzbuhel Tennis Stadium. Brands stunned Roger Federer in the second round in Gstaad last week.
Haase, who's fresh off his runner-up finish in Gstaad, beat German Philipp Kohlschreiber in last year's finale for his second straight Kitzbuhel championship, while Monaco titled here back in 2007.
In other action involving seeded players, wild card Dominic Thiem ousted compatriot and fourth-seeded long-time Austrian favorite Jurgen Melzer 7-5, 6-3 and seventh-seeded Spaniard Albert Montanes snuck past Romanian veteran Victor Hanescu 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). Montanes was the Kitzbuhel runner-up to Haase two years ago. Melzer was a finalist here back in 2008.
Also on Day 3, Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver doused Czech qualifier Jan Hajek 6-3, 6-3.
The winner of this $540,000 tournament will earn $98,000.
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