The Farmers Classic lost its top seed through the night as France’s Benoit Paire succumbed to American Michael Russell in straight sets, Detroit-born Russell defeating the world no. 47, 7-5 6-4.
Another seed awaits Russell in tonight’s quarter final, this time in the form of Australian Marinko Matosevic. Matosevic – seeded sixth – required a third set to see off the challenge of Germany’s Tobias Kamke in a curiously lopsided match-up.
The first set went Matosevic’s way, with the Australian coasting to a comfortable 6-3. However, Kamke hit the ground running in the second, conceding only a single game on his way to forcing a decider.
Apparently unruffled, a clinical and miserly Matosevic then won six games in a row to take the third set. Game, set and match at 6-3 1-6 6-0.
Fourth seed Nicolas Mahut required only two sets to eliminate Paolo Lorenzi, although the Italian pushed Mahut all the way. A hard fought 7-5 in the first set was followed up with an even harder fought tie-break in the second, the French player eventually taking the match 7-5 7-6 and setting up a meeting with Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis in the last eight.
Berankis progresses to the quarter finals off the back of an impressive 6-4 7-5 win over former world no. 18 Igor Andreev.
