Top-seeded David Ferrer beat his Spanish Davis Cup teammate Nicolas Almagro 6-3 7-5 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Valencia Open tennis event.
World No.5 Ferrer was little troubled on the hard indoor surface as he improved to 12-0 against an opponent he will play alongside next month in the Czech Republic when Spain look to defend their Davis Cup title.
Ferrer has won the Valencia title twice and has never lost to Almagro, a record that includes four encounters this season.
Almagro had a triple-break chance in the sixth game of the second set but failed to turn it around as Ferrer held before breaking in the 11th game. Ferrer saved his fourth break point in the final game before clinching the win when Almagro hit long.
Earlier, Jurgen Melzer and Alexandr Dolgopolov each won to set up their own semi-final.
Melzer, who hasn’t dropped a set at the tournament, beat David Goffin of Belgium 7-6 (9-7) 6-4. The Austrian overcame a poor first serve, including seven double-faults.
Dolgopolov defeated defending champion Marcel Granollers 6-0 6-2. The Ukrainian was perfect on his first serve in the first set.
“It was for sure easier than expected. He was frustrated and he wasn’t playing his best tennis,” said the 21st-ranked Dolgopolov, who broke the Spaniard five times.
“I had no chance of coming back,” said Granollers, who had reached the past two finals in Valencia.
Granollers is expected to lead Spain’s doubles team in Prague.
In the remaining quarter-final, No.7 seed Marin Cilic will take on Ivan Dodig in an all-Croatian encounter.