GSTAAD, Switzerland (AFP) - Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka snapped his all-or-nothing career jinx at the Swiss Open on Wednesday, scratching out a 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 7-6 (7/3) win over doubles partner Stephane Bohli.

Wawrinka, competing as a top seed for the first time since reaching the Top 10, avoided a fifth opening-round loss at this alpine village, lifting at the end to reach the quarter-finals after a bye.

It took nearly three hours and cost Wawrinka more than 40 unforced errors as he claimed victory with a passing shot against the number 137 challenger.

"It was a very, very tough match, said Wawrinka, a Gstaad first-round loser save 2005 when he reached the final to former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio.

"I'm very satisfied to get through. Stephane is a good friend of mine, we train together. He played a good second set to force a third."

The Swiss improved to 29-13 on the season, setting up the third-set tiebreaker with his 13th ace and advancing after Bohli saved two match points.

"Of course there is pressure on me here because of what I've done. But my form is the result of hard worked this season," said the Rome Masters Wawrinka.

Wawrinka's win saved face for organisers after second-seeded holder Paul-Henri Mathieu of France went out to Croatian Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-4.

Wawrinka plays on Friday against Argentine eighth seed Guillermo Canas, who got a walkover when Belgian Kristof Vliegen withdrew with illness.

"Canas will be another tough opponent," said Wawrinka. "He's not had the best results this season but he's still very dangerous."

Cilic was a familiar foe for France's Mathieu after the pair played for their sixth time in three months on Wednesday.

A sunny day in the Alps proved to be gloomy for the neighbouring French, with Russian Igor Andreev defeating Florent Serra 7-5, 6-4 in their second-round clash.

The luck of the draw has placed Mathieu and Cilic across the net six times this season, the matches compressed into the space of little more than three months.

When they first played, the teenaged Croatian fell to 0-3 after Mathieu won their first three at Miami, Munich and Queen's club.

But since then, it's been a Croatian comeback as the 43rd-ranked Cilic claimed victories at Nottingham and the Wimbledon third round on grass before reaching the Gstaad quarter-finals at Mathieu's expense.

"There was nothing I could do, he played well above his ranking," said Mathieu, hoping to have given France a third straight title here after Richard Gasquet started the winning trend in 2006.

"I'm terribly disappointed to have lost so early, it hurts even more as a defending champion.

"He serves so well that there were not a lot of rallies," said Mathieu, now 21-18 on the season. "It was tough to have such a match so early, but that's the luck of the draw."