BASTAD, Sweden (AP)—Top-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden was taken to three sets before beating compatriot Andreas Vinciguerra in the second round of the Swedish Open on Wednesday.
The defending champion, playing his first match at the clay-court tournament after being given a first-round bye, hit 15 aces on the way to a 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-2 victory over the wild card and will play Italy’s Andreas Seppi in the quarterfinals.
Third-seeded David Ferrer of Spain and Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas also will meet in the last eight after winning Tuesday.
The No. 5-ranked Soderling broke Vinciguerra’s serve in the second and eighth games of the match to take the first set easily.
Soderling, who reached the final of the French Open on clay last month, squandered two match points in the second set but recovered to claim the third.
Seppi advanced after beating Potito Starace 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7) in an all-Italian match on center court.
Ferrer, who won the title here in 2007, defeated Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-3, 7-5, winning 12 of the last 13 points to seal victory. Cuevas had a routine 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain’s Pere Riba.
Second-seeded Fernando Verdasco, who also was given a first-round bye, was scheduled to enter the tournament on Thursday when he faces France’s Stephane Robert.