VIENNA: Gael Monfils produced a scintillating performance to reach the semifinals of the Austrian Open on Friday, upsetting second seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 7-6 (7/2).

Hitting the ball with a flourish and chasing down every half-chance and converting many of them for winners, the eighth-seeded Frenchman was the more impressive player.

But there was some spectacular tennis from both competitors as Gonzalez also played a full part in a highly entertaining battle. While Monfils impressed with his speed to the ball and excellent defence, Gonzalez used his immense strength to keep his opponent under pressure throughout the match.

Both players held break point opportunities early in the match, before Monfils dominated the last three games of the opening set, breaking to love to lead 5-4 and surrendering just one point in the last three games.

Having failed to convert two break points in the first set, Gonzalez let another four escape before a netted forehand gave Monfils a break for 6-5. Gonzalez finally broke on his sixth break point to take the set to a tie-break, but that was dominated by Monfils, who won the first six points before double-faulting on his first match point.

A frustrated Gonzalez, who had several times tried in vain to smash his racquet, finally succeeded in the tie-break, before netting a forehand on Monfils’ second match point.

“I’m happy because I played a tough game today. I was solid and very happy about my performance,” said Monfils.

“First of all, I was focused from the first ball to the last. For me that was a big key. I tried to be aggressive and come forward and not let him use too much his forehand because it is very dangerous.

“During the last game I think he deserved to break me. He came forward and hit the ball very hard, but I kept going and being aggressive for the tie-break,” french added.

Gonzalez acknowledged it had been a high level match, and that Monfils had been the better player. “I think he served really well,” said Gonzalez. “We played a really good match and we had to fight a lot to get one point. He played two really good points when he broke me in the first set.

“But it was a good match for me. I feel better than in my first two matches. I did a few unforced errors but I think he played good tennis,” he added.

An early break in each set put German Philipp Kohlschreiber on his way to a 6-2, 6-3 victory over fifth seeded Fernando Verdasco, his third in four meetings with the Spaniard.

Kohlschreiber did not face a break point in the one-sided victory, that took just 67 minutes. Just one break of serve in each set separated Feliciano Lopez of Spain and Austrian Jurgen Melzer, as Lopez advanced 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and in the remaining quarter-final unseeded German qualifier Philipp Petzschner, who upset top seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round, reached the first semifinal of his career with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Spain’s Carlos Moya.