Bangkok, Thailand – Top seeds Janko Tipsarevic and Richard Gasquet were a pair of quarterfinal winners Friday at the $551,000 Thailand Open tennis event.
The Serbian Tipsarevic got past fifth-seeded Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, while the French Gasquet topped eighth-seeded Australian Bernard Tomic 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 on the hardcourts at Impact Arena. Tipsarevic saved seven-of-nine break points faced against Verdasco en route to his 50th win of the season.
"It was really tough but I expected it. I have played Fernando 5-6 times," said Tipsarevic, who improved to 4-2 lifetime against Verdasco. "It's always been battles from the baseline. He made me suffer, and I ran a lot today."
Tipsarevic's semifinal opponent on Saturday will be former Bangkok champion Gilles Simon. The fourth-seeded Frenchman whipped fellow countryman Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-1 on Day 5.
Simon titled here in 2009.
One other quarter saw seventh-seeded Finnish southpaw Jarkko Nieminen upend third-seeded Canadian slugger Milos Raonic 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). The big-serving Raonic popped eight aces, but was unable to break Nieminen in their 1-hour, 33-minute affair.
The 2010 Bangkok runner-up Nieminen will face Gasquet in Saturday's other semi. Gasquet is 3-1 all-time against Nieminen, but the Finnish lefty won their last meeting in 2010.
The 2012 winner of this $551,000 tournament will collect $99,465.
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