BRISBANE, Australia -- Top-seeded 2010 French Open runner-up Robin Soderling and second-seeded reigning Brisbane champion Andy Roddick were a pair of winners Thursday at the 2011 season-opening Brisbane International tennis event, an Australian Open tuneup.
The Swedish Soderling popped nine aces and handled German Michael Berrer 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) to reach the quarterfinals, while the former world No. 1 American Roddick struck seven aces and whipped fifth-seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-3 to secure a berth in the semifinals on the hardcourts at Queensland Tennis Centre. Baghdatis was the Aussie Open runner-up to the great Roger Federer back in 2006.
Soderling's round-of-eight opponent on Friday will be Aussie qualifier Matthew Ebden, while Roddick will encounter South African Kevin Anderson in Saturday's semis. Anderson came from behind to beat Colombian Santiago Giraldo 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Day 5.
Roddick bested 2009 champion Radek Stepanek in last year's Brisbane finale.
In other second-round action here on Thursday, the upstart Ebden upended eighth-seeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-4, 6-4.
In addition to Soderling-Ebden on Friday, another quarterfinal will pit seventh-seeded German Florian Mayer against the gritty Stepanek.
The winner of this $474,050 tournament will collect $73,000.
