Querrey Passes Dimitrov Test In Stockholm

Sam Querrey needed all his firepower to defeat Grigor Dimitrov 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(3) at the Intrum Stockholm Open on Wednesday.

The World No. 50 recorded his first FedEx ATP Head2Head win in four matches against the Bulgarian after two hours and 14 minutes, landing 25 aces en route to the quarter-finals. Querrey’s win puts 2013 champion Dimitrov’s bid for a 300th tour-level victory on hold. Only 25 active players on the ATP Tour have recorded 300 or more tour-level wins.

“It was a fun match. It was a close match,” said Querrey. “A lot of times in these matches it is just a couple of points here and there. That is what it was today.”

In his sixth quarter-final of the season, Querrey will meet Chengdu champion Pablo Carreno Busta or lucky loser Gianluca Mager. The American is yet to meet either player on the ATP Tour.

Yoshihito Nishioka defeated No. 3 seed Taylor Fritz 7-5, 6-4 to reach his third tour-level quarter-final of the year. The 23-year-old, competing at this ATP 250 event for the first time, converted four of five break points to improve to 2-0 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against the American No. 2. Nishioka will face eighth seed Daniel Evans or Filip Krajinovic for a place in the semi-finals.

“I am playing very good tennis now — I think my best tennis — so I am very happy for that,” said Nishioka.

Swedish wild card Mikael Ymer recorded his second win in five main draw appearances at his home event, beating Joao Sousa 7-5, 6-4. The Stockholm resident broke serve on six occasions to confirm a second-round match against Cedrik-Marcel Stebe of Germany.