Cilic, Karlovic To Clash In QFs; Lacko Edges Former Champion Ljubicic

© Neja MarkicevicIvo Karlovic reaches the quarter-finals at his hometown tournament for the second time.

Marin Cilic, currently a career-high No. 10 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings, continued his pbz zagreb indoors title defence with a comprehensive 6-2, 6-1 win over Daniel Koellerer of Austria in just 61 minutes at the ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament.

Cilic, who beat compatriot Mario Ancic in the 2009 final, did not face a break point as he hit 12 aces and won 33 of 40 service points. He improved to 12-1 on the 2010 ATP World Tour season.

"It was another excellent day for me," said Cilic. "It was not as great in the beginning, but with the first break of serve everything changed. I served great and it helped a lot. I was never under pressure."

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The 21-year-old Croatian added, "I am in good shape, have no more ups and downs (in my game)." Last month, he captured his fourth ATP World Tour title at the Aircel Chennai Open (d. Wawrinka) and reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open (l. to Murray). 

He will next meet seventh-seeded compatriot Ivo Karlovic, a 7-6(4), 7-6(8) winner over French qualifier Alexandre Sidorenko. Karlovic, who fired 21 aces past Sidorenko, also did not face any break points on serve but was forced to close out the match in two tie-breaks after going 0 for 9 on his break point opportunities.

Cilic said about facing off against his 6’10” countryman for the first time: "It won't be easy, that's for sure. Among all players left in the tournament he is the toughest one. It's tricky to play against him. I know him well, we practised a lot together, but we never played each other. It will be decided by nuances."

World No. 33 Karlovic has a 7-2 season mark, opening his 2010 campaign with a quarter-final effort at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (l. to Davydenko) and a fourth-round run at the Australian Open (l. to Nadal). He previously reached the Zagreb quarter-finals during the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2006 (l. to Koubek).

Slovakian World No. 72 Lukas Lacko knocked out second seed and home favourite Ivan Ljubicic, the 2006 titlist and two-time runner-up, 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-6(5) in two hours and 39 minutes.

Lacko withstood 18 aces from the Ljubicic racquet, converting one of nine break point opportunities for his fifth tour-level victory (5-2) of the year. The 22 year old also reached the last eight at the Aircel Chennai Open (l. to Sela) in the first week of the 2010 ATP World Tour season.

Lacko will next challenge German World No. 84 Philipp Petzschner, who advanced to his first ATP World Tour quarter-final since September 2009 at the Open de Moselle in Metz, after he knocked out sixth-seeded compatriot Benjamin Becker 1-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(6) in two hours and 17 minutes.

Becker won 72 per cent of service points, hit nine aces and saved all four break points he faced, but dropped to a 4-4 match record on the season.

German Michael Berrer, a titlist at Heilbronn on the ATP Challenger Tour last week, improved to a 5-2 match record on the season after he beat Croatian wild card Petar Jelenic 6-4, 6-3 in 84 minutes for a place in the last eight.

Berrer also reached the quarter-finals at the Aircel Chennai Open (l. to Wawrinka). He goes on to meet fourth-seeded Serbian Viktor Troicki.