MONACO (Reuters) - Fourth seed David Ferrer motored into the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-3 6-3 win over Serbia's Viktor Troicki Friday.
As streetworkers near the Monte Carlo Country Club were making preparations for next month's Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, bandana-wearing Spaniard Ferrer was racing to victory at the first clay event of the European season.
The players exchanged breaks in the middle of the first set before Ferrer broke again thanks to a volley down the line and the tall 11th seed Troicki was unable to stage a fightback in the second.
Ferrer will face either second seed Roger Federer or Juergen Melzer, who were next on court, in Saturday's semi-final.
World number one and defending champion Rafa Nadal plays Ivan Ljubicic later, before Andy Murray takes on Frederico Gil in the last of the quarter-finals.
(Reporting by Mark Meadows; Editing by John O'Brien; To comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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