BUENOS AIRES, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Top seed and local favorite Francisco Cerundolo advanced to the Argentina Open semifinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Czech Vit Kopriva on Friday.
Cerundolo, who is ranked 19th on the ATP tour, won 74 percent of points on his first serve and converted five of 12 break points to prevail in one hour and 38 minutes on the outdoor clay of the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club.
World No. 95 Kopriva served four double faults and committed 31 unforced errors.
"It was a difficult match," said 27-year-old Cerundolo. "There was a lot of wind and there were moments when you hit the ball and didn't know where it was going. He started very aggressively, intense and playing flat, low. I wasn't used to that. I didn't play well and I felt uncomfortable, so I'm very happy to have won."
The Buenos Aires native's next match in the ATP 250 event will be against compatriot Tomas Etcheverry, who progressed by beating Chile's Alejandro Tabilo 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In other quarterfinal duels on Friday, Italian second seed Luciano Darderi beat Spaniard Pedro Martinez 7-5, 6-1 and Sebastian Baez defeated fellow Argentine 7-6 (5), 6-2. ■
