Karlovic blasts past Verdasco to reach quarters

LONDON (Reuters) - Croatia''s Ivo Karlovic won a bruising encounter with Spanish seventh seed Fernando Verdasco 7-6 6-7 6-3 7-6 to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon on Monday.

Verdasco has a mighty serve himself but he could not compete with the imposing Karlovic, who makes it through to the last eight at a grand slam for the first time.

Karlovic, the 22nd seed, won the first set 7-5 on a tiebreak before Verdasco leveled up, taking the second breaker 7-4.

It was not exactly subtle stuff and the only variation on the theme came in the third set when Verdasco went 0-40 in the eighth game and lost the last of them after thrashing a forehand long.

Karlovic served out before the fourth set reverted to type, with the Croat taking the inevitable tiebreak 11-9, as Verdasco spooned an easy forehand long, to set up a quarter-final against five-times champion Roger Federer.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)