Monaco, Haase reach Kitzbuhel quarters
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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.
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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.