BASTAD, Sweden(AP) Top-Seeded Robin Soderling reached the semifinals of the Swedish Open with a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory Friday over Andreas Seppi.
The 76th-ranked Seppi won the first set after breaking Soderling at 2-2. The big-serving Swede, who had 13 aces, rallied in the second set after trailing 5-3.
The third set was even closer, with both players having chances to win the match before Soderling won the tiebreaker.
It's nice to have won without playing well,'' Soderling said.At the end I didn't do anything special, he just missed.''
Soderling will face David Ferrer in the next round, after he swept Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-3 on center court.
Tommy Robredo also advanced to the semifinals by defeating Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-3. The fifth-seeded Robredo, who is chasing his third Swedish Open title, needed only 82 minutes to down second-seeded Verdasco.
If you don't play the best match of the week against a top 10 player, then you lose,'' Robredo said.I was focused all the time.''
Robredo will play Nicolas Almagro, who rallied past Franco Skugor 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.