By Tennis Now | Thursday, October 18, 2018

Philipp Kohlschreiber showed Stockholm survival skills pulling off an improbable comeback.

A defiant Kohlschreiber denied six match points fighting off Fernando Verdasco, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5), to reach the Stockholm Open quarterfinals.

In a clash of 34-year-old veterans, Kohlschreiber kept calm under stress edging the left-handed Spaniard for the fifth time in nine meetings.

Serving at 3-5 in the second set, Kohlschreiber stared down five match points, including three forehand errors on match points from an increasingly skittish Verdasco. Kohlschreiber held strong for 4-5.

Verdasco earned another match point on his own serve, but could not close as Kohlschreiber reeled off four consecutive games snatching the second set.

Kohlschreiber cracked an ace to cap a two hour, 43-minute comeback.

"Well, I think I played some good tennis also before [the match points], but I couldn't put it together," Kohlschreiber said. "Like two good points, one mistake. It's crazy. It's not gonna happen that you're gonna lose a match with match points or defending match points and winning the match I'm very happy.

"I think it was from that point a very good much from my side. Of course, Fernando it's tough to handle the situation and I think we played good tennis. Very happy for me." 

The 35th-ranked German will try to continue this run in a quarterfinal meeting with Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The third-seeded Greek dispatched John Millman, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 yesterday. The 16th-ranked Tsitsipas stopped Kohlschreiber, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in Dubai earlier this year. 

Fabio Fognini flew past Lukas Lacko, 6-4, 6-4.

The second-seeded Italian saved four of five break points in a one hour, 28-minute victory.

Serving for the match, Fognini improvised this brilliant pass.



The first Italian man to win three titles in a single season since 1977, Fognini will try to keep his roll going against sixth-seeded Hyeon Chung in the quarterfinals. 

The Korean wild card conquered Denis Kudla, 6-3, 6-3.

Tennys Sandgren opened the day's play whipping 10 aces and winning 39 of 42 first-serve points in a 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 win over German Oscar Otte. 

Australian Open quarterfinalist Sandgren will play either top-seeded John Isner or Bradley Klahn for a semifinal spot.