VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — Marcel Granollers beat third-seeded Gael Monfils 7-6 (12), 3-6, 6-4 on Friday to advance to the Valencia Open semifinals.
Granollers, last year’s runner-up to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer, saved four set points in the first-set tiebreaker on the indoor hard-court.
Monfils rallied to claim the second set, but Granollers took the match when the Frenchman struggled with his serve late and sent his final forehand wide.
Granollers will play the winner of the quarterfinal between sixth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro and American Sam Querrey.
Also, the top-seeded Ferrer plays Nikolay Davydenko, and Juan Carlos Ferrero faces Juan Monaco in Friday’s late match.
