ZAGREB, Croatia - Andreas Seppi was three points from defeat when he rallied to beat Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) and reach the Zagreb Indoors semifinals on Friday.

The fifth-seeded Seppi served for the match at 6-5, but won only one point.

Berankis led the tiebreaker 4-1, when Seppi responded by winning five points in a row. The Italian converted his third match point.

"I was 4-1 down in the tiebreaker, after I served for the match, so it was a rather difficult situation," Seppi said. "He was actually playing very good from the moment I broke for 6-5. He hit four-five winners, and I couldn't do anything. I am a bit lucky to be through".

Berankis won 85 per cent of points on his first serve, but only 44 per cent on the second, as Seppi responded with his aggressive returns.

Seppi will next play eighth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain, who defeated Igor Sijsling 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Granollers hit 11 aces and saved five out of eight break points, keeping serve throughout the third set. Sijsling served to stay in the match at 4-5, and led 40-15 before the Dutchman lost four points in a row.

Third-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain also progressed, beating Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-1, 6-7 (5), 7-5.

Garcia-Lopez led 6-1, 4-1 when he began to unravel. Troicki fought back to send the contest to a third set, but Garcia-Lopez again started well — taking a 3-0 lead. Troicki recovered again, but was broken at 5-6 down.

Garcia-Lopez will face Marcos Baghdatis after the Cypriot rallied to beat Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Youzhny opened well, winning the first set easily. But things changed after Baghdatis broke for 4-2 in the second set.

He stepped up the pressure, taking a 5-2 lead in third set, before slowing down. Youzhny nearly levelled the score, but Baghdatis saved a break point before closing out the match.

"This was a tough one. I have problem starting matches, like I have a diesel engine," Baghdatis said.