Ferrer reaches Valencia semis

Valencia, Spain – David Ferrer straight-setted fellow Spaniard and fellow two-time champion Nicolas Almagro in Friday's quarterfinal action at the Valencia Open.

The top-seeded Ferrer doused the sixth-seeded Almagro 6-3, 7-5 in 1 hour, 22 minutes on the hardcourts at the City of the Arts and Sciences. The gritty Ferrer was not broken on Day 6 and is now 12-0 lifetime against Almagro.

Ferrer beat Almagro in the 2008 Valencia finale, also titled here in 2010, and was the Valencia runner-up in 2005. Almagro reached three straight Valencia finals from 2006-08, including back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.

The world No. 5 Ferrer's semifinal opponent on Saturday will be Croatian qualifier Ivan Dodig, who ousted seventh-seeded fellow countryman Marin Cilic 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). Cilic fired 10 aces in defeat, but was also broken five times.

Also on Friday, Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov dispatched defending champion Marcel Granollers 6-0, 6-2 in 64 minutes and Austrian left-hander Jurgen Melzer bested rising Belgian David Goffin 7-6 (9-7), 6-4. Dolgopolov and Melzer will meet in Saturday's other semi.

The Spanish Granollers beat Argentine Juan Monaco in last year's Valencia finale and was the 2010 runner-up to his compatriot Ferrer.