Serra Smiles with QF Effort at ATP Bucharest

From ATP
Defending champion Florent Serra advanced to the quarterfinals of the BCR Open Romania by dismissing Martin Vassallo-Arguello 6-4, 6-1 Wednesday in Bucharest.

The 25-year-old Frenchman, winner at Adelaide, captured his first career title in Bucharest last season defeating Igor Andreev in the final.

For a spot in the semifinals he will take on No.7 seed Florian Mayer, who routed Sergio Roitman of Argentina 6-4, 6-1.

The German Mayer, a finalist in Sopot, is currently No.53 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings. He will face Serra for the first time in ATP events.

Meantime Austria's Jurgen Melzer upset fourth-seeded Gilles Simon 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in their first career meeting. Melzer, who has a best showing in the season a final appearance at Houston, also reached the semifinals at Munich and Newport and quarterfinals at Kitzbuehel, New Haven and Poertschach.

Melzer will next battle sixth-seeded Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo, a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 winner over Christophe Rochus. The Spaniard, a semifinalist at Amersfoort and Vina del Mar, improved to 21-15 in the season (19-13 on clay).
-- Courtesy ATPtennis.com