Federer, Murray Claim Tennis Victories

Top-seeded Roger Federer overcame a 4-1 deficit in the second set to beat Malek Jaziri 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday and stay on course for his ninth title at the Gerry Weber Open.

Federer caught up and broke serve for 6-5, before serving out the match. Jaziri sent a backhand wide on the first match point.

Jaziri actually hit two more winners than Federer but also had three more unforced errors.

Federer will play fifth-seeded David Goffin in the quarterfinals. Goffin was up 4-6, 7-5, 2-0 when Sergiy Stakhovsky retired with a back injury.

Earlier, eighth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber endured 26 aces from Ivo Karlovic in winning 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-5.

Kohlschreiber will play third-seeded Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals, a rematch of their showdown in the rain-delayed final of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart that was completed on Monday. Thiem beat Kohlschreiber for his first title on grass.

Thiem breezed past Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-4, 6-1.

It may have been the less-heralded Battle of Britain on Thursday but Andy Murray also managed to stave off the underdog threat.

In far less dramatic fashion than England's 2-1 comeback win over Wales at the European Championship later in the afternoon, Murray duly dispatched Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4 under grey skies at the Aegon Championships.

With victory, the world No.2 continues his quest for a record fifth title at the Queen's Club, a venue, intriguingly, where the England and Wales national football sides played out a 1-1 draw over 120 years ago on March 18, 1895.

The Scot has admitted it feels just like old times having Ivan Lendl back in his corner, and needed just one hour, 23 minutes to make it two wins from two since reuniting with his former coach. -- By ESPN