NOTTINGHAM, June 22, 2016

10 of the top 16-seeds headlined third round action at the Aegon Open Nottingham, led by the tournament’s number one Kevin Anderson. The 30-year-old from South Africa dismissed Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-6. Anderson fired 18 aces, winning 93% of his first service points. He didn’t face a break point and converted one of his own to prevail in one hour and 18 minutes.

Anderson will next face sixth seed Steve Johnson. The world number 38 from the United States defeated Vasek Pospisil 7-6, 7-6 in one hour and 31 minutes.

Second favourite Pablo Cuevas rallied to beat the last British player in the singles draw Daniel Evans 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. The 30-year-old from Uruguay sent down 13 aces and broke his opponent’s service in the 10th game of the second set, when Evans served for the match. Cuevas finished the encounter after two hours and 24 minutes.

The world number 25 will take on Marcos Baghdatis. The 31-year-old from Cyprus needed some time to find his rhythm and had to save two match points but eventually emerged victorious from the encounter with last year’s runner-up Sam Querrey, winning 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes.

“I was being really negative with a lot of things going through my head,” Baghdatis was delighted with his performance and added:

“I thought it wasn’t my day out there – I woke up feeling unwell, I think I slept too much! I was feeling very tired. To be able to turn it around, find my mindset on court in the second and third sets – I think that’s a big step. I’m happy that it happened today and not at Wimbledon.”

Seventh seed Andreas Seppi avenged his loss to Adrian Mannarino at the Ricoh Open in Den Bosch two weeks ago with a 6-2, 6-3 victory in 70 minutes. The Italian now plays Dudi Sela, who was a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 winner over Benjamin Becker.

In the fourth quarterfinal, fourth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov will sqaure off with the tournament’s number eight and s’Hertogenbosch finalist Gilles Muller. Dolgopolov ousted Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic 6-3, 7-5 and Muller fought past Mikhail Youzhny 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in a two hours and 35 minutes battle.

Shot of the day:

#Tweener alert! Mikhail #Youzhny hits this stunning winner against #Muller at the #AegonOpen Nottingham #Hotdoghttps://t.co/iijHGR2cd0

— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) 22. Juni 2016