Bucharest, Romania (Sports Network) - Hometown favorite Victor Hanescu toppled third-seeded Italian Potito Starace in Friday's quarterfinal action at the $400,000 Romanian Open.
The Bucharest native Hanescu, a wild card this week, sent Starace packing with a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 decision on the red clay at BNR Arenas.
The only seeded player still standing this week, No. 6 Frenchman Gilles Simon, avoided an upset by drilling American qualifier Hugo Armando 6-4, 6-2 on Day 5.
In other quarterfinal action, qualifier Gael Monfils drubbed fellow Frenchman Marc Gicquel 6-4, 6-2 and Argentine Carlos Berlocq dismissed Russian qualifier Yuri Schukin 7-5, 6-3.
Saturday's semifinals will pit Simon against Berlocq and Hanescu versus Monfils.
Bucharest, Romania (Sports Network) - Third-seeded Italian Potito Starace, the highest-remaining seed still standing this week, highlighted Thursday's second-round winners at the $400,000 Romanian Open.
Starace drove out veteran Romanian crowd favorite Andrei Pavel 6-3, 6-3 on the red clay at B.N.R. Arenas. The 33-year-old Pavel entered the draw as a wild card this week.
Another Romanian wild card did not disappoint the home crowd on Day 4, however, as Victor Hanescu knocked out eighth-seeded Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-2 to reach Friday's quarterfinals, where he will meet Starace. Montanes was the Bucharest runner-up back in 2001.
In other second-round play, Russian qualifier Yuri Schukin got past Italian Simone Bolelli 6-4, 6-3 and Argentine Carlos Berlocq handled Spaniard Ivan Navarro Pastor 7-5, 6-3.
The other quarters will pit sixth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon against American Hugo Armando, Schukin versus Berlocq and Frenchman Marc Gicquel against his countryman Gael Monfils.
Bucharest, Romania (Sports Network) - Fifth-seeded and two-time runner-up Igor Andreev was among Wednesday's second-round losers at the $400,000 Romanian Open.
Frenchman Marc Gicquel dismissed the Russian Andreev in 6-4, 6-3 fashion on the red clay at B.N.R. Arenas. Andreev reached back-to-back finals here in 2004 and 2005.
Sixth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon avoided an upset by pasting Russian Evgeny Korolev 6-4, 6-2 on Day 3 here.
In other second-round action, American qualifier Hugo Armando erased Italian Andreas Seppi 6-0, 6-3 and French qualifier Gael Monfils topped Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 6-4, 6-4. Armando will battle Simon in the quarterfinals, while Monfils will encounter his countryman Gicquel.
A pair of Romanian crowd favorites will take to the clay here on Thursday, as Victor Hanescu will face eighth-seeded Spaniard Albert Montanes and Andrei Pavel will take on third-seeded Italian Potito Starace.
Bucharest, Romania (Sports Network) - Top seeds Nicolas Almagro and Filippo Volandri were a pair of upset victims Tuesday at the $400,000 Romanian Open.
Almagro gave way to Italian Simone Bolelli, and an elbow injury, as the Spaniard retired from their match. Almagro won the first set 6-4 and was trailing 1-5 in the second when he called it quits.
The 2006 Bucharest runner-up Volandri was sent packing by French qualifier Gael Monfils 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) on the red clay at B.N.R. Arena. The Italian Volandri lost to Austrian Jurgen Melzer in last year's finale here.
Another Day-2 upset occurred when Argentine Carlos Berlocq knocked out seventh-seeded Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
The only seeded victor on Tuesday was No. 3 Italian Potito Starace, who came from behind to best Belgian Kristof Vliegen 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Starace is now the highest-standing seed remaining in the draw.
A pair of Romanian crowd favorites and wild cards advanced, as Victor Hanescu held off German Florian Mayer 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-3) and Andrei Pavel doused Spaniard Oscar Hernandez 7-5, 7-5.
Additional wins came for Russian qualifier Yuri Schukin, American qualifier Hugo Armando and Frenchman Marc Gicquel.
Bucharest, Romania (Sports Network) - Hometown favorite Victor Hanescu toppled third-seeded Italian Potito Starace in Friday's quarterfinal action at the $400,000 Romanian Open.
