BASTAD, Sweden (AP)—Potito Starace beat Wimbledon semifinalist Marat Safin 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4 and reached the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open on Wednesday.

The win was the Italian’s second three-set match in two days, after ousting 2002 champion Carlos Moya in the first round. Starace defeated Safin for the first time since losing to the Russian at the 2004 French Open.

In Friday’s quarterfinals, Starace will play fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, who topped former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden 7-6 (2), 6-2 in the first match under lights in the tournament’s 61-year history. Berdych reached the final here in 2005.

Qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist of Sweden also advanced to the last eight at the clay-court tournament, at the expense of wild card and compatriot Michael Ryderstedt 6-3, 7-5.
Starace defeats Safin to reach quarters in Sweden - Tennis