Thu Oct 9 14:26:25 2008

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Monfils reaches quarters; del Potro pulls out in Vienna

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Vienna, Austria (Sports Network) - French Open semifinalist Gael Monfils was among Thursday's second-round winners, while rapidly-rising Argentine Juan Martin del Potro pulled out of the $930,000 Bank Austria Tennis Trophy.

The eighth-seeded Monfils, of France, handled Czech Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-3, while a third-seeded del Potro decided against playing German Philipp Kohlschreiber on Day 4 at Wiener Stadthalle, citing a right big toe injury. Del Potro owns four titles on the ATP circuit this year and was a finalist in Tokyo last week.

In other second-round play, Austrian crowd favorite Jurgen Melzer topped former world No. 1 Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 and Spain's Feliciano Lopez handled Colombian lucky-loser Santiago Giraldo 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Lopez titled here in 2004.

Friday's quarterfinals will pit second-seeded Olympic silver medalist Fernando Gonzalez of Chile against Monfils, fifth-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco versus Kohlschreiber, German Phillip Petzschner against former top-ranked Spaniard Carlos Moya and Melzer versus Lopez.