STOCKHOLM (AFP) -- Tommy Haas improved his chances for a spot in the season-ending championships, booking a quarterfinal place at the Stockholm Open after a battle with Spain's Albert Montanes on Wednesday.

The German fourth seed took 93 minutes to carve out a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 second-round win at the Kungligahallen.
""I was lucky to get an early break in the third set,"" said the German. ""I'm happy to be in the quarters.
""I haven't played that much lately but it will be good to have a day off tomorrow and get ready for the quarters. Everyone can play but it's only going to get tougher from here.""
Number eight Spaniard Fernando Verdasco joined seeded compatriots David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo in withdrawing, his reason given as a wrist injury.
The path is starting to clear for a duel between two-time champion James Blake and Haas as both battle for a place in November's Masters Cup in Shanghai.
The American who began his title defense on Tuesday with a three-set struggle to beat Swede Jonas Bjorkman, stands ninth in the chase for the eight-man ATP wrap up while Haas is looking to climb from provisional 12th just a handful of points behind.
Against Montanes, three-time Australian Open semifinalist Haas struck six aces and converted on a tired of his nine break point chances.
Haas played the Stockholm semifinals three years ago in his only previous appearance, losing to Andre Agassi.
Montanes, ranked 47th, failed in a bid to reach his seventh quarterfinal of the season.
In the first round, Sweden's lucky loser Bjorn Rehnquist, who took the absent Verdasco's place on court, extended his good fortune 6-4, 6-4 over American Vince Spadea, moving into a match against Croatian Mario Ancic.
Australian Peter Luczak got off to a fast start over German Benjamin Becker, his 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory sending him up against Finnish sixth seed and two-time finalist Jarkko Nieminen today.