No. 2 seed Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez was too strong for 17-year-old rising Argentine Juan Martin del Potro Thursday at the ATP stop in Vina del Mar, winning in front of the homecountry fans 6-3, 7-6(4) to move into the quarterfinals.
Gonzo won the title in 2002 and 2004, and was the runner-up in 2005. The 17-year-old del Potro was making his ATP debut, and rose 900 spots in the rankings in 2005 to be the youngest player in the Top 200.
Other winners into the quarters Thursday were (3)
Jose Acasuso (d. Marcaccio), (8)
Boris Pashanski (d. di Mauro, bagel in the third), and doubles specialist Leos Friedl (d. Aguilar) reaching his career-first ATP quarterfinal.
On tap for the Friday quarters are (3) Acasuso vs. (Q) Friedl, (5) Massu vs. (Q) Cuadrado, (8) Pashanski vs. (2) Gonzalez, and in an all-Spanish Ramirez Hidalgo vs. (6) Montanes.
