Germany's Tommy Haas survived a scare to advance to the quarter-finals of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships on Thursday, downing Romanian Andrei Pavel 6-7 6-1 7-5.
Fourth-seeded Haas, who took world number one Roger Federer to five sets in the fourth round of the Australian Open, almost became yet another upset victim of the hardcourt tournament, rallying from 5-3 down in the final set to advance.
"I've always had tough battles with Pavel," Haas told reporters after the match.
"I got a break in the second set and I thought he got a little frustrated. In the third set I felt like I picked my game up a notch at 4-5."
Haas faces seventh seed Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the quarter-finals after he defeated American qualifier Jeff Salzenstein 6-3 6-4.
Also advancing on Thursday was eighth-seeded American Vincent Spadea, who had little difficulty in dispatching compatriot Robert Kendrick, a qualifier, 6-4 6-1.
Spadea's next match will be against Korean Lee Hyung-taik, who stopped German Simon Greul 2-6 6-3 6-4.