Monaco through to Moviestar semis

Juan Monaco overcame Argentinian compatriot Juan Pablo Brzezicki to advance to the semi-finals of the Movistar Open on Friday.

The third-seed had little trouble with the unseeded Brzezicki, who was appearing in the quarter-finals for the first time in an ATP event, posting a 6-2 6-3 victory at the claycourt event.

Monaco, who won three ATP titles a year ago, next faces unseeded Spaniard Santiago Ventura, who booked his place in the last four with a 6-3 6-3 win over another first-time ATP quarter-finalist, Fabio Fognini of Italy.

Ventura won 73% of his service points and broke Fognini three times in eight chances to roll to the straight-sets win in 79 minutes.

Seventh seed Jose Acasuso of Argentina, who won both the singles and doubles events at Vina del Mar in 2006, was sent crashing out after a straight sets loss to unseeded Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay.

Cuevas, who stunned fourth seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain in the second round, marched on after defeating Acasuso 6-3 6-3 in a match which lasted 91 minutes.

Cuevas will face top seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, who disposed of Carlos Berlocq of Argentina 7-5 6-0.

Berlocq had reached the quarter-finals by ousting defending champion Luis Horna of Peru 7-6 (7/3) 3-6 7-6 (7/3) in a three-hour epic in the second round and was evenly matched with Gonzalez in the early stages of the match.

However the Chilean, who won at Vina del Mar in 2002 and 2004 and reached the final in 2005, won eight consecutive games to claim victory in 82 minutes.