Lopez beats Gonzalez in Quito

Quito - Top-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain has hit 10 aces in defeating Alejandro Gonzalez of Colombia 7-5, 6-2 to reach the Ecuador Open quarter-finals on Thursday.

Lopez, coming off a fourth-round effort at the Australian Open, avenged a loss to Gonzalez last April in Houston.

The Quito event is the first in a month of ATP and WTA clay-court tournaments across Latin America.

Quito is at 2 800m above sea level, a challenge for players unaccustomed to the thin air in the Andes.