Casablanca, Morocco – Top-seeded Swiss slugger Stan Wawrinka was a come-from-behind second-round victor Wednesday at the Moroccan Grand Prix tennis event.
The world No. 17 Wawrinka secured a quarterfinal berth by overcoming Slovenian Blaz Kavcic 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 on the red clay at Complexe Al Amal, where the Swiss is now 5-0 lifetime.
Wawrinka, who titled here three years ago, will meet Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Friday's quarterfinals. Garcia-Lopez outlasted Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 on Day 3.
Another quarterfinal will pit fourth-seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire against former world No. 5 Spaniard Tommy Robredo. Paire fought back to beat Slovenian Aljaz Bedene 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, while the 2001 Casablanca runner-up Robredo handled German Tobias Kamke 6-4, 7-5 in Wednesday's nightcap.
The first round concluded, as seventh-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase held off Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 and Frenchman Kenny De Schepper doused Belgian Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-4.
The winner of this $525,000 tournament will earn $96,000.
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