SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, April 7, 2017

Benoit Paire and Aljaz Bedene are the two last seeded players standing at the €64,000 Verrazzano Open held at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Sophia Antipolis.

The tournament’s number one from France beat Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 7-5, 6-3 on Friday evening. Paire capitalized on five of his eight break point chances to advance in one hour and 10 minutes. The World No. 27 will next take on Jozef Kovalik from Slovakia.

Kovalik reached his second quarterfinal of the season after he had made it to the stage of the final eight for the first time at ATP level in January in Chennai. The 24-year-old Bratislava native knocked out third seed Guillermo Garcia-López of Spain, winning 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 in two hours and 29 minutes.

Fourth favourite Aljaz Bedene defeated Frenchman Mathias Bourgue 6-4, 7-6. The 27-year-old Briton saved the only break point he faced, converting one of his own to prevail in one hour and 52 minutes. Bedene will Marco Cecchinato for a spot in the final of the ATP Challenger event. The World No. 165 from Italy upset eighth seed Arthur de Greef 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 11 minutes.