Gasquet strolls into quarters

Top seed Richard Gasquet advanced to the quarter-finals of the BCR Open with a routine victory over home favourite Victor Crivoi.

The Frenchman cruised to a 6-3 6-2 victory over the Romanian wildcard who was backed by a partisan crowd.

Gasquet is ranked 12th in the world, but has so far had a season to forget, failing to win a title and losing 17 of his 42 matches.

The 22-year-old has made it past the quarters just once this season - when he finished runner-up in Stuttgart - and came into this red clay event fresh off a disappointing opening-round loss to Tommy Haas at the US Open.

But he had few problems in brushing aside 165th-ranked Crivoi, winning 20 first-serve points out of 23 as he sealed victory in just 65 minutes.

Awaiting him in the last eight is unseeded Teimuraz Gabashvili, who crushed another Romanian wildcard, Adrian Cruciat 6-1 6-2.

The 23-year-old Russian is looking to reach his first ATP semi-final.

Also through to the quarter-finals are 2004 champion and eighth seed Jose Acasuso, a 6-4 7-5 winner over fellow Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello.

A finalist here in 2002, Acasuso set up a last-eight clash with Spain's Ivan Navarro, who came through his second-round match with Denis Gremelmayr after the German retired with an injury to his left ankle while trailing 6-3 1-0.

ATP BRC Open Romania, Scores from Day 4

Singles Second Round
1- Richard Gasquet (France) def. Victor Crivoi (Romania) 6-3 6-2
8-Jose Acasuso (Argentina) def. Martin Vassallo Arguello (Argentina) 6-4 7-5
Ivan Navarro (Spain) def. Dennis Gremelmayr (Germany) 6-3 1-0 ret. (left ankle)
Teimuraz Gabashvili (Russia) def. Adrian Cruciat (Romania) 6-1 6-2