Three-time Munich champion and six-time finalist Phillip Kohlschreiber beat Karen Khachanov 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 after 1 hour and 59 minutes scoring his third win over top 15 players this season.
Khachanov saved two break points in the fourth game and in the eighth game to hold his serve en route to the tie-break. Kohlschreiber rallied from 0-3 down and fended off a set point at 5-6 by winning three consecutive points to clinch the tie-break 8-6.
Kohlschreiber converted his third break point in the first game of the second set. Khachanov broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Kohlschreiber earned his second break in the ninth game and served out the win on his third match point.
Kohlschreiber set up a quarter final against last week’s Budapest champion Matteo Berrettini beat US Denis Kudla 7-5 6-3.
Kudla saved a break point in the third game of the first set with a backhand down the line and held his serve with an ace. In the sixth game Kudla earned a break point after a double fault from Berrettini. Berrettini saved it with a forehand and held his serve with an unforced error from Kudla to draw level to 3-3. Kudla held his serve at love to take a 4-3 lead. Berrettini rallied from 0-30 down to hold his serve with a volley for 5-5. Berrettini converted his second break point chance to take a 6-5 lead and closed out the first set with his service winner in the 12th game.
Berrettini went up an early break in the first game of the second set and held his serve at 15 with an ace to open up a 2-0 lead. Berrettini won his service game with a stop-volley to take a 3-1 lead. Berrettini hit a drop shot in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead and sealed the second set 6-3 with a double break, as Kudla hit a backhand into the net. Berrettini won his seventh consecutive win to reach his third quarter final of the season. If Berrettini beats Kohlschreiber, he could reach a career-high of world number 35.
This year’s Doha champion Roberto Bautista Agut came back from 2-4 down in the first set to beat German wild-card Rudolf Molleker 6-4 6-2.
Bautista Agut set up a quarter final against Brazil Open and Monte-Carlo quarter finalist Guido Pella, who battled past Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-1 6-7 (7-9) 6-3. Pella built up a 6-1 5-3 lead, but failed to convert a match point at 6-5 in the tie-break. Daniel rallied by winning four of the next five points to win the tie-break 9-7 forcing the match to the decider. Pella saved a break point in the third game and two more chances in the seventh game before earning his only break of the third set in the eighth game on his second break point chance. Pella served out the match at love in the ninth game.
