MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) Eighth-seeded Jiri Vesely beat top-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-4, 7-6 (2) Friday to reach the Grand Prix Hassan II semifinals.
The Czech broke in the first set and kept the pressure on throughout the second, with Garcia-Lopez saving all seven break points to force a tiebreaker.
Vesely next plays third-seeded Borna Coric, who beat French veteran Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4
The 19-year-old Croat, who had 12 aces and saved seven of eight break points, beat Vesely on Dubai hard courts in February.
Also, fourth-seeded Federico Delbonis won 7-5, 6-2 against seventh-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain. Delbonis next faces Spaniard Albert Montanes, who beat Argentine Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 7-5.
Delbonis leads Montanes 2-0 overall.
The semifinalists are all looking to win their first title this year.
