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  • Stockholm - Nalbandian, Ancic and Nishikori fight for spots in the semis

    10/10/08 3:56 AM | Cheryl Murray
    - Six of the top eight seeds advance to the quarterfinals on Friday at the If Stockholm Open.

    David Nalbandian vs. Albert Montanes

    Perhaps this match has the most clear-cut favorite of the four quarterfinals. Argentine David Nalbandian is ranked 7th in the world, while Montanes is ranked 51st and makes his living mostly on clay. Nalbandian has historically been at his best during the indoor season. Last year he went on a stunning run through the Madrid and Paris Masters events, winning both and beating Federer, Nadal and Djokovic along the way. Nalbandian should come through this match with little fuss.

    Jarkko Nieminen vs. Oscar Hernandez

    Spanish clay-courter Oscar Hernandez is the surprise quarterfinalist of the Stockholm Open. The 83rd-ranked player spends a good portion of his year playing in the Challengers, but he made a couple of main tour semifinals this year on clay (Amersfoort and Houston). Jarkko Nieminen had a good beginning of the year, but has struggled since. Despite that, the Finn should get some help with the faster indoor surface in Stockholm. Nieminen for the win.

    Kei Nishikori vs. Mario Ancic

    This has the potential to be the best quarterfinal of the lot. Croatia’s Mario Ancic is coming off a late-summer illness that forced him to withdraw from Cincinnati and the US Open, but he seems to have found his form again. Kei Nishikori from Japan made his breakthrough this year with a shocking win at Delray Beach. Recently, he advanced to the round of 16 at the US Open, losing to Juan Martin Del Potro. Nishikori will likely have difficulty returning Ancic’s big serve, but the Croat has been inconsistent with his groundstrokes. Ancic’s serve gives him the slight edge. The Croat in three.

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