Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci fired 18 aces to defeat Joachim Johansson 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 in their quarter-final to leave Soderling the last home hope. Bellucci, 21, whose last quarter-final appearance in August led to a career breakthrough trophy on clay at Gstaad, will play for a spot in the final against Oliver Rochus after the Belgian defeated Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
The ace output of Bellucci, ranked 45th, was almost matched by Johansson, who fired 13.
The Brazilian winner saved the lone break point he faced, while Johansson lost his own serve once.
“I stayed concentrated throughout the whole match. I served very well which took pressure off me, so I was very happy with that,” said the South American.
Johansson’s lack of consistent match play because of years of shoulder injuries showed as he went down to defeat in his fourth Stockholm quarter-final. The 27-year-old Swede’s best performance in Stockholm was a run to the 2006 semi-finals, when he lost to Nieminen, also currently coming back from injury after wrist surgery.
Johansson was playing his first quarter-final since January 2007, in Adelaide, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
■LUXEMBOURG OPEN
AFP, LUXEMBOURG
Yanina Wickmayer kept Belgian hopes alive on Friday as the world No. 20 defeated compatriot Kirsten Flipkens 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals.
Wickmayer, who had seen countrywoman and US Open winner Kim Clijsters knocked out by Patty Schnyder in the second round late on Thursday, will tackle Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinzsky for a place in the final.
Bacsinzsky defeated Slovenia’s Katerina Srebotnik 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 6-4.
The other semi-final will see Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, the sixth seed, face Shahar Peer of Israel.
Peer put out Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), while Lisicki saw off Schnyder 6-4, 6-2.
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