Baghdatis is defeated in Pilot Pen quarterfinals

Associated Press

NEW HAVEN, Conn.

Sergiy Stakhovsky completed two matches on Thursday, but it was top-seed Marcos Baghdatis who looked tired, losing 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (4) to the Ukrainian in the quarterfinals of the Pilot Pen tennis tournament.

Stakhovsky changed speeds throughout the match, and used slices and drop shots to keep Baghdatis running. In the end, it was the ninth seed advancing to Friday’s semifinals.

“I had to make a lot of sprints, you know,” Baghdatis said. “I felt my legs a bit tired after. I couldn’t be 100 percent.”

Stakhovsky was a bit tired too.

He had his first-round match on Tuesday suspended by darkness and finished that Wednesday, beating Peter Luzak 6-3, 7-6 (4). He started his third-round match Wednesday night against Spaniard Tommy Robredo, before that was suspended by rain in a first-set tiebreaker. Stakhovsky won the tiebreaker 7-5 when the match resumed Thursday morning and finished off the sixth seed in the second set, 6-2.