Bangkok, Thailand – Top seed Tomas Berdych secured a berth in the quarterfinals at the Thailand Open on Wednesday.
The world No. 6 and former Wimbledon runner-up blew past Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-3 on the indoor hardcourts at Impact Arena.
Also in the second round on Day 3, sixth-seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez swatted 14 aces in handling Japanese qualifier Go Soeda 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 and Igor Sijsling outlasted fellow Dutchman Robin Haase 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2). Sijsling and Haase combined for 29 aces, including 16 for the winner.
In opening-round play, fifth-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny mauled Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-2, while Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin drubbed Korean wild card Suk-Young Jeong 6-3, 6-0 and Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu routed Russian Evgeny Donskoy 6-3, 6-2.
No less than five seeds are slated for second-round action on Thursday, including No. 2 Richard Gasquet, No. 3 Canadian slugger Milos Raonic and No. 4 Gilles Simon of France. Simon is fresh off his title in Metz, France.
Gasquet is the reigning Bangkok champion, having beaten the 2009 titlist Simon in last year's all-French finale.
The 2013 Bangkok titlist will earn $102,450.
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