TOKYO (AP) Gael Monfils of France outlasted American Andy Roddick in a hard-fought 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6) victory Friday to earn a spot in the semifinals at the Japan Open.
Monfils, the No. 5 seed, played aggressively in a match that lasted nearly three hours, pushing the big-serving Roddick by going to the net and placing pinpoint returns.
Monfils, who improved to 5-3 against the second-seeded Roddick, also made the semifinals in last year's Japan Open.
Monfils will face Radek Stepanek in the semifinals after the Czech player advanced when Finland's Jarkko Nieminen withdrew from their match because of a fever.
In the other quarterfinals Friday, top-ranked Spaniard Rafael Nadal will play Russia's Dmitry Tursunov, and Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez meets Viktor Troicki of Serbia.