Montpellier, France (SportsNetwork.com) - French stars Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils were quarterfinal winners Friday at the Open Sud de France tennis tournament.
Gasquet, the defending champion and top seed, beat qualifier and countryman Albano Olivetti 6-4, 6-2 on the indoor hardcourts at Arena Montpellier. Gasquet topped Benoit Paire in last year's all-French final and also captured this event back in 2006 in Lyon.
Up next for the world No. 9 Gasquet will be Pole Jerzy Janowicz. The third seed served a whopping 18 aces in a 6-2, 6-4 handling of seventh-seeded Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Monfils, meanwhile, advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin. The fifth seed won this tournament in 2010 and was the runner-up in 2005 (Lyon) and 2012.
Awaiting Monfils in the semifinals is Jarkko Nieminen. The sixth-seeded Finn battled past French qualifier Marc Gicquel 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).
