Moya Stops Ferrero Run at ATP Estoril

"I'm feeling better and better every week," said Moya, showing his first sign of being a force at Roland Garros in May. "When I came here I didn't know where my game was, but I've had two good wins against two good players, so I'm feeling confident again. I'm very motivated and think I have chances to win tournaments again."

Ferrero broke early in the opening set, but Moya broke back immediately then broke with The Mosquito serving at 5-6. Both players traded early breaks again in the second set, with Ferrero saving a match point serving 4-5, and two serving at 5-6 before taking the tiebreak to force a third.

Ferrero appeared to run out of gas in the third set, with Moya doing his best to move his unseeded countryman around the court with the dreaded Spanish Dropshot.

"Today I felt confident with my forehand, so I was able to use the drop shot a lot today and bring him into the net more than he's used to," Moya said. "I think I had a high percentage of points won when I used the drop shot today."

Not accustomed to reaching the latter rounds of tournaments after a horrid 2004 season that stretched into 2005, Ferrero appeared spent after coming off a semifinal effort at the Masters Series-Monte Carlo.

"In the third, I was so tired physically and it was very difficult for me to get to the ball," Ferrero said. "He was more fresh than me, maybe because he hasn't played that many matches in the last two weeks."

Other winners into the quarterfinals Thursday were (4) Tommy Robredo (d. Spanish countryman Ventura, bagel in the second), Italy's David Sanguinetti (d. Costa from a set down), and Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu (d. (Q) Cakl 1-and-1).

Friday's quarterfinal match-ups in Estoril are (8) Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez vs. (2) Gaudio, (1) Moya vs. Mathieu, (4) Robredo vs. Sanguinetti, and (LL) Marin vs. Guillermo "G-Lo" Garcia-Lopez.