Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco to square-off in Ecuador ATP semi-finals

Feliciano Lopez is the top seed at the event

Quito, Feb 7 (IANS): Top-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain defeated seventh-seeded Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the Ecuador Open ATP semifinals where he will face compatriot Fernando Verdasco, who beat Italy's Paolo Lorenzi.

Third-seeded Verdasco beat Lorenzi, fifth seed, 6-1, 6-2, to reach the last four of the clay-court tournament here Friday, reports Xinhua.

Number six seed Thomas Bellucci of Brazil beat Spain's Albert Montanes 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Bellucci will meet eighth-seeded Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic in the semifinals after Burgos defeated Martin Klizan of Slovakia 6-2, 6-2.

The Quito event is the first in a month of ATP and WTA clay-court tournaments across Latin America, all pointing toward the French Open in three months.