Gaudio, Chela Lead at Acapulco

Argentines Gaston Gaudio and Juan Ignacio Chela led the winners into the semifinals Thursday at the ATP claycourt stop in Acapulco, with the No. 2-seeded Gaudio outlasting Brazil's Marcos Daniel in three sets, and the No. 7-seeded Chela straight-setting Italian qualifier Alessio Di Mauro.

"It was a weird and nerve-racking moment that was probably more fun for the spectators than for us," Gaudio said.

Also into the semis was unseeded Peruvian Luis Horna (d. Calleri), and Spanish qualifier Nicolas Almagro (d. Montanes, bagel in the second).

Into the women's semifinals Thursday were (1) Flavia Pennetta (d. (Q) Martinez Sanchez 6-0 in the third), (2) Anna-Lena Groenefeld (d. Shaughnessy), and two un-seeds in Frenchwoman Emilie Loit (d. (Q) Gussoni), and Spaniard Maret Ani (d. Pous Tio).

"When you get beat like that in the first set you know you have to give it everything you have to stay in the tournament," Pennetta said.

The women's Friday semifinals line up as (1) Pennetta vs. Ani (Pennetta leads career meetings 1-0), and (2) Groenefeld vs. Loit (first meeting).

The match-ups for the men will be (7) Chela vs. (Q) Almagro, and Horna vs. (2) Gaudio.