Zagreb, Croatia – Third-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny and former champion Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus were a pair of quarterfinal winners Friday at the Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament.
Youzhny needed 2 hours, 42 minutes to stave off eighth-seeded massive-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (12-10), 3-6, 7-6 (8-6). The 6-foot-10 Karlovic swatted 22 aces in a losing effort.
Up next for Youzhny will be last year's Zagreb runner-up Michael Berrer, who moved within one victory of his second straight trip to the final here with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 come-from-behind win over Austrian qualifier and fellow left- hander Jurgen Melzer.
Berrer lost to Croatia's Ivan Dodig in last year's finale.
Dodig will not be a repeat champion this year, as the fourth seed was knocked out by a sixth-seeded Baghdatis, 6-4, 7-5. The former Australian Open runner- up Baghdatis titled here back in 2007.
Baghdatis will appear in his second semifinal in four events so far this season.
In other quarterfinal action at Dom Sportova, Slovakian Lukas Lacko took out seventh-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase 6-4, 6-4 to setup a semifinal date with Baghdatis.
The 2012 Zagreb champion will collect $90,000.
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