Metz - Second-seeded Gael Monfils of France and third-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Moselle Open on Thursday.
Monfils overcame a slow start before beating Michal Przysiezny of Poland 7-5, 6-1, and faces seventh-seeded Jerzy Janowicz of Poland after he comfortably beat veteran Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-4, 6-4.
The big-serving Janowicz saved all three break-points he faced and hit nine aces.
Przysiezny, ranked 136th, broke Monfils' opening service game and held for 2-0, but Monfils broke straight back.
Monfils, who had two match points before losing to 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the US Open quarter-finals, is looking for his second title of the season after his victory on hard courts in Montpellier in February.
Kohlschreiber had 12 aces in a 6-3, 7-5 win against Italy's Paolo Lorenzi and next plays Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff, who did not face a single break-point in a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 win against No. 5 Jeremy Chardy of France.
No. 6 Joao Sousa of Portugal and No. 8 David Goffin of Belgium also reached the last eight.
Sousa struggled, saving 14 of 16 break-point chances, as he labored to a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3) win against Dutchman Igor Sijsling.
He next plays Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.
Goffin eased past Germany's Tobias Kamke 6-1, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal against top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Results on Thursday at the ATP Moselle Open (x denotes seeding):
Second round
David Goffin (BEL x8) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) 6-1, 6-3
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x3) bt Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-3, 7-5
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA x5) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4
Joao Sousa (POR x6) bt Igor Sijsling (NED) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3)
Jerzy Janowicz (POL x7) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-4, 6-4
Gael Monfils (FRA x2) bt Michal Przysiezny (POL) 7-5, 6-1