Tommy Haas Stuns Tsong; Baghdatis and Cilic Advance

Written by: Staff on 2nd May 2012

Tommy Haas Stuns Tsong; Baghdatis and Cilic Advance

Tommy Haas of Germany serves to Spain's Rafael Nadal, in their second round match at Rod Laver Arena, at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. Nadal won the match 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. EPA/JOE CASTRO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

(Original Story: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/05/18/Munich-Wednesday-Cilic-Tsonga-In-Action.aspx)

Former World No. 2 Tommy Haas reached his first ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season on Wednesday as he stunned top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 6-4 in the second round of the BMW Open in Munich.

The 34-year-old German, a wild card entrant on his first appearance in five years at this ATP World Tour 250-clay-court tournament, dispatched World No. 5 Tsonga in just 59 minutes. Haas won 83 per cent of points behind his first serve and converted three of his four break point chances.

The 27-year-old Tsonga was making his debut in Munich and dropped to a 21-8 match record on the season. The Frenchman won his eighth ATP World Tour title in Doha (d. Monfils) at the start of the year.

Haas started the season ranked just outside the Top 200 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings after a lengthy struggle with injuries. He reached the final in Munich in 2000 (l. to Squillari) and was a semi-finalist in 2005 (l. to Pavel).

Haas goes onto face eighth seed and two-time semi-finalist Marcos Baghdatis, who was made to work hard for his quarter-final berth. The Cypriot came from a set down to defeat German qualifier Dustin Brown 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 47 minutes. The 26-year-old Baghdatis is through to his fourth ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season and improved to a 16-9 match record on the season.

Third seed Marin Cilic cruised into the quarter-finals as he dismissed Germany’s Matthias Bachinger 6-3, 6-2. The Croatian broke serve four times from seven opportunities and won 81 per cent of points behind his first serve to clinch victory over the No. 103-ranked Bachinger, a semi-finalist in Bucharest last week, in 70 minutes.

World No. 24 Cilic improved to an 11-4 match record in Munich after reaching the quarter-finals for the fifth time; he went onto reach the final in 2010, finishing runner-up to Mikhail Youzhny.

Topics: ATP World Tour 250-clay-court tournament, BMW Open in Munich, German tennis news, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Marcos Baghdatis, Marin Cilic, Mikhail Youzhny, Tommy Haas