Vienna, Austria – Top seeds Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and former time defending Vienna titlist Jurgen Melzer came up a loser in Friday's quarterfinal action at $790,000 Erste Bank Open.
The flashy Tsonga dropped the first set against capable Belgian Xavier Malisse before fighting back for a 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 victory in exactly two hours, while the second-seeded former top-five star del Potro topped 33-year-old qualifier Tommy Haas 6-2, 6-4 on the indoor hardcourts at Wiener Stadthalle. Tsonga and Malisse combined for 30 aces, including 20 from the French winner, while the Argentine del Potro popped 10 aces and did not face even one break point versus Haas on Day 5.
The oft-injured German Haas, appearing in his first ATP quarterfinal in 26 months, captured the Vienna title back in 2001 and was the runner-up here in 2000.
Up next for Tsonga will be German qualifier Daniel Brands, while del Potro's semifinal opponent on Saturday will be sixth-seeded fellow 6-foot-7 slugger Kevin Anderson, who toppled the third-seeded Vienna native Melzer in easy 6-3, 6-3 fashion. The big-serving Anderson smacked 11 aces and did not allow even one break-point opportunity for the left-handed Melzer.
Melzer defeated Andreas Haider-Maurer in last year's all-Austrian finale to claim a second straight championship in his hometown.
The aforementioned Brands eased into the final four with a 6-3, 6-4 handling of Belgian fellow qualifier Steve Darcis.
The 2011 Vienna titlist will collect $145,000.
