Stockholm, Sweden, 16 October 2014 | AAP

Bernard Tomic has stunned third seed Kevin Anderson to storm into the quarterfinals of the Stockholm Open.

Tomic, who has endured a tricky season which has been hampered by hip injuries, was too strong for the towering South African, triumphing 7-6(4) 6-4 in under 90 minutes.

It was his third straight victory over Anderson, dating back to 2011.

His first-round victory in Stockholm was his first main-draw win since withdrawing from the US Open in August, but the improved showing against world No.17 Anderson will give the 21-year-old confidence as the season draws to a close.

Tomic saved three break points in the first set to force a tiebreak, which he won 7-4 before closing out the game in straight sets.

He will now face another stern test in the quarters where he will come up against the seventh-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.

Verdasco, who eliminated Australia’s Marinko Matosevic in the opening round, overpowered Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen in their second round matchup 6-3 6-4.

Groth, Tomljanovic exit Moscow

Australian Sam Groth has gone down swinging in the second round of the Kremlin Cup, losing a hard-fought two-setter to Spanish fifth seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

Groth, who has risen to a career-best ranking of No.88 on the back of an impressive season, pushed the world No.16 all the way in the 7-6(5) 7-6(4) loss in Moscow on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old was in a typically aggressive mood on serve, racking up 19 aces in the two-set loss.

Bautista Agut now advances to the quarterfinals where he will face either top seed Milos Raonic or Lithuanian hopeful Ricardas Berankis.

In the women’s draw, Ajla Tomljanovic pushed fourth seed Lucie Safarova in the first set before going down 7-6(4) 6-2.