By Chris Oddo | Thursday, June 11, 2015

 

Rafael Nadal battled past Marcos Baghdatis in Stuttgart to set up a quarterfinal clash with Bernard Tomic.

Photo Source: EFE/Marijan Murat

Rafael Nadal began his grass-court season with a hard-fought victory over Marcos Baghdatis on Thursday, saving 10 of 12 break points to triumph, 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-2 in two hours and 40 minutes.

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Nadal’s eighth victory in nine tries over Baghdatis sets up a quarterfinal clash with Australia’s Bernard Tomic. Tomic saved two set points in the first set to reach his seventh quarterfinal of the season with a 7-6(6), 6-2 victory over 37-year-old Tommy Haas.

Haas was bidding to become the ATP’s oldest quarterfinalist since Jimmy Connors reached the last eight at Halle as a 42-year-old in 1995.

Nadal owns a 2-0 lifetime edge over Tomic, with both victories coming at the Australian Open.

Nadal rallied from a break down to claim the first set from Baghdatis, but the Cypriot turned the tables on the Spaniard in the second set, fighting back from a break down to force a tiebreaker. After falling behind 3-2, Baghdatis won five of six points to clinch the breaker and force the dedider.

After saving 12 break points in the first two sets Nadal did not face another in the third. Despite six aces from Baghdatis in the decider, Nadal was able to break two times on five opportunities to achieve the victory.

Nadal improved his career record on grass to 54-15 with the victory. He owns three career titles on the surface (two at Wimbledon and one at Queen’s).

Earlier Thursday, Germany’s Mischa Zverev reached his first ATP quarterfinal in nearly two years with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Italy’s Andreas Seppi.

Marin Cilic closed the day in Stuttgart by taking his place in the quarterfinals with a 7-6(2), 6-3 win over Matthias Bachinger.