KAOHSIUNG, September 20, 2018

Gael Monfils advanced to the quarterfinals of the OEC Open in Kaohsiung. The top seed of the $150,000 ATP Challenger hard-court event eased past Go Soeda of Japan 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday.

Monfils fired 13 aces, winning 88 per cent of his first service points to secure victory in exactly one hour of play. The World No. 42 will next meet seventh seeded Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, who beat Yasutaka Uchiyama of Japan 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 13 minutes.

Monfils won both of the two previous meetings between the two. Their last match-up took place in Rotterdam two years ago.

Earlier in the day, No. 2 seed Malek Jaziri remained untroubled, beating Federico Gaio of Italy 6-3, 7-6(4). The World No. 70 from Tunisia saved three of the four break points he faced, converting two of his own to advance in one hour and 35 minutes. Next up for Jaziri will be Austrian teenager Jurij Rodionov. The 19-year-old fought past local wild card entry Chun Hsin Tseng 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. The encounter lasted one hour and 33 minutes.