Roger Federer struggled in an “awkward” match before advancing to the Gerry Weber Open quarterfinals Thursday with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Jan Vacek. Federer faced strong resistance from the Czech qualifier, ranked 342nd, before smashing a crosscourt volley to break serve for a decisive 4-3 lead in the second set. “It was difficult,” Federer said. “When it happens you can't play your game and it isn't working, then it's a surprise. It was an awkward sort of match.” Federer said a tough match was as important as an easy one, such as his first-round rout of Germany's Michael Berrer in just over an hour. France's Michael Llodra also reached the quarterfinals by beating Steve Darcis of Belgium 7-6 (6) 7-6 (3). Nadal struggles In London, top seed Rafael Nadal struggled into the quarterfinals of the Queen's Club ATP tournament on Thursday, beating Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Nadal will need to sharpen up in Friday's quarterfinal against Croatian ace-machine Ivo Karlovic, who out-gunned Chile's Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 7-5. That match ended in unusual circumstances when Gonzalez, who had already been given a point penalty in the first set for smashing his racket, was docked the last game for ball abuse. Third seed Andy Roddick, the defending champion, needed just one set to get past Mardy Fish when his fellow American retired injured. Lleyton Hewitt came back from 1-4 down in the first set against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu to win 6-4, 6-4 and set up a quarterfinal with Novak Djokovic who beat fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. Roddick now takes on British hope Andy Murray after he beat rising Latvian Ernests Gulbis 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. Frenchman Richard Gasquet beat big-serving Croat Mario Ancic 7-6, 6-4 while David Nalbandian beat last year's surprise finalist Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-1. Robredo through In Poland, defending champion Tommy Robredo of Spain reached the quarterfinals of the Warsaw Open on Thursday after American Wayne Odesnik retired injured while trailing 6-4, 1-1. The second seed will now play compatriot Oscar Fernandez, who crushed fellow-Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-2. Argentine fifth seed Guillermo Canas beat Spaniard Santiago Ventura 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 to also reach the quarterfinals, where he will meet 21-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini. Kirilenko edges Navarro In Barcelona, second-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia needed more than two hours to beat Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 Thursday and reach the quarterfinals of the Torneo Barcelona. No. 4 Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic also had trouble reaching the last eight, also needing more than two hours to prevail 7-5, 4-6, 6-win over Spanish wildcard Arantxa Parra Santonja. Safarova's seventh-seeded compatriot Klara Zakopalova earned only two break points and was eliminated 6-2, 6-0 by Romania's Edina Gallovits. Russia's Ekaterina Ivanova won Thursday's other second-round match after rallying for a 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory against countrywoman Maria Kondratieva.
