Juan Monaco has booked a place in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open by defeating Jeremy Chardy 6-0 7-6(11) in a battling encounter.
The first set was a breeze for the Argentinian pro, who nabbed a break point at the first time of asking to push on and take an immediate 2-0 lead.
Chardy was unable to respond to Monaco's dynamic play and quick feet on the court, resulting in his failure to put one game on the board in the opening set.
The second set was a slightly different story as Chardy came into his own by holding his serve well with powerful serves and precise forehands to knock his opponent off course.
While Chardy had the chance to wrap up the second set on serve after breaking Monaco's game, the 26-year-old was unable to do so, which allowed Monaco to draw level 5-5 and eventually push the set into a tie-break.
Chardy attempted to dominate the head-to-head by denying Monaco four match points, but the Argentinian was able to hold and just edge the tie-break 13-11 in a mammoth battle to secure a place in the final eight.
Danielle Joynson
