STOCKHOLM (AP) Jarkko Nieminen cruised past Tomas Berdych at the Stockholm Open on Wednesday, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
The sixth-ranked Berdych lost seven consecutive games at one point against a player ranked 39 places lower.
Backed by a supportive crowd at the Royal Tennis Hall, Nieminen got off to a fast start and broke the third-seeded Berdych twice in winning the first set.
The unseeded Finn took a 2-0 lead to start the second, playing inspired tennis that included a laser-like backhand pass in the fifth game that the Czech could only watch.
Fifth-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland also advanced, landing 12 aces in a 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-4 victory over Robin Haase of Netherlands.
In the quarterfinals, Wawrinka will meet the winner of Thursday's match between Roger Federer and Taylor Dent of the United States.
In other first-round matches, Matthias Bachinger edged Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, and Tobias Kamke defeated Jan Hajek 6-0, 6-2.
Florian Mayer beat Michael Ryderstedt 6-4, 6-4 on center court in the last match of the day.