Youzhny reaches Gstaad QFs
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gstaad, Switzerland (SportsNetwork.com) - Top-seeded and defending champion Mikhail Youzhny was an easy second-round winner Thursday at the Swiss Open tennis event.
The Russian veteran moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 handling of Frenchman Kenny De Schepper on the red clay at Roy Emerson Arena.
Youzhny will meet Dutchman Robin Haase on Friday in a rematch of last year's final, which was won by the Russian. A seventh-seeded Haase moved on with a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 victory over Swiss wild card Henri Laaksonen on Day 4 in Gstaad.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Also on Thursday, Serbian wild card Viktor Troicki vaulted past Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev 6-3, 6-4. Troicki rejoined the tour this week following a one- year doping ban.
Fourth-seeded Spanish left-hander and 2011 runner-up Fernando Verdasco of Spain was tied with German Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-3, 1-1 when play was suspended because of rain. The winner will meet Troicki in the quarters.
Some other quarterfinal matchups on Friday will pit second-seeded 2011 champion Marcel Granollers against fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar and Argentine Juan Monaco versus two-time Gstaad titlist Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 2014 Swiss Open champ will earn $105,000.