In the first match on Friday at 2012 BMW Open, sixth seeded and 2010 champion Russian Mikhail Youzhny squares against third seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia for a place in the semi-finals. 

Youzhny, who won the title here in 2010, comes into this tournament with 10-4 win loss record this year and won his eighth career title at Zagreb in February this year.

He has a good 19-7 record in Munich and reached the final here twice in 2007 and 2009. In his opening round at this year edition, he defeated two time semi-finalist Philipp Petzschner 7-5, 7-5 and then Colombian Santiago Giraldo in three sets with 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.

His opponent- Cilic has always done well in Munich. He has reached the quarter-finals on three occasions in 08, 09 and 2011. He was also a finalist in the year 2010 and lost to Youzhny in that match. 

Both players have met seven times before and Youzhny leads 5-2 in head to head series.

TennisEarth Pick : Youzhny in hard fought three sets.