Del Potro Beats Former Champion Petzschner For QF Berth

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Second seed Juan Martin del Potro won 70 per cent of his service points, saving all four break points he faced, to beat 2008 champion Philipp Petzschner of Germany 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday at the Erste Bank Open. The Argentine, who can add 230 South African Airways 2011 ATP Year-To-Date Rankings points by lifting the Vienna trophy this week, is currently No. 13 in the battle to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals next month.

"I think I played much better in this match than last week," admitted del Potro. "I need to play better to win more matches. He was a tough opponent in the first round. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the last point - probably the best of the match - was a good way to win."

The 23-year-old del Potro is appearing at the ATP World Tour 250 indoor tennis tournament for the first time since 2008. So far this year the Argentine - in his comeback season from a wrist injury - has compiled a 43-14 match record on the season, which has seen his rise from No. 484 in February to No. 15 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.

He will next meet a qualifier, either 2001 titlist Tommy Haas or Slovenian Aljaz Bedene in the quarter-finals.

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South African Kevin Anderson, the No. 6 seed, made his way safely through to the quarter-finals after closing out a 6-2, 7-6(5) win over Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. He dropped serve three times, but broke Baghdatis five times from 10 opportunities.

Anderson, who won his first ATP World Tour title earlier this year in Johannesburg, improves to a personal-best 39-24 season record. He awaits the winner between two-time defending champion Jurgen Melzer and Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the quarter-finals.

Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis advanced to the second round after knocking out seventh-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 0-6, 7-6(3) in two hours and seven minutes. It was only his eighth match win in 13 tour-level matches this season.

Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, a finalist last week in Stockholm (l. to Monfils), defeated Dutchman Robin Haase 7-6(3), 6-4 in his opening match. Nieminen will face top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the quarter-finals Thursday. Nieminen and Tsonga have split their previous four encounters.