Calleri and Chela treat home crowd

Chela beat Squillari in a drab encounter

Click here for Friday's results from Buenos Aires

Argentinians Agustin Calleri and Juan Ignacio Chela gave the partisan crowd at the AT&T Cup in Buenos Aires plenty to cheer about as they advanced to the semi-finals.

Calleri, who had defeated world number two Gustavo Kuerten in the previous round, beat fellow countryman Mariano Zabaleta 6-4 4-6 6-1.

And he looked to be heading for a comfortable straight sets victory over Zabaleta as he eased to a 6-4 first-set lead.

But his Argentine opponent showed the sort of resilience with which he had knocked out Marcelo Rios in the last round to win the second set 6-4.

As the players came out for the final set, the game turned once again and Calleri raced away to a 3-0 lead and subsequently the set.

Zabaleta could not maintain Calleri

In the opening match on Friday, Chela eventually won an often drab encounter against Franco Squillari 7-6 4-6 6-4.

The only moment of real excitement came in the latter stages of the match as Squillari eyed the win.

Serving 5-4 down and at 30-30, he hit a passing shot down the line but the point had to be replayed after the ball punctured.

Chela needed little encouragement and he took the next two points and the match.

Argentina's domination of their home event was halted by Spain's Feliciano Lopez who beat Jose Acasuso 6-3 4-6 7-5.

Acasuso, who lost in last year's final to Gustavo Kuerten, had earlier insisted he was aiming to go one better.

But he found it difficult to control his nerves in the opening few games and was finally broken in the fourth game.

He fought back to win the second set and had a 2-0 lead in the third before Lopez broke twice for the victory.

In the last quarter-final David Nalbandian, of Argentina, was defeated by Chile's Nicolas Massu 7-6 4-6 7-6.

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Friday's results from Buenos Aires

Quarter-finals:
Agustin Calleri (Arg) bt Mariano Zabaleta (Arg) 6-4 4-6 6-1
Juan Ignacio Chela (Arg) bt Franco Squillari (Arg) 7-6 4-6 6-4
Feliciano Lopez (Spa) bt Jose Acasuso (Arg) 6-3 4-6 7-5
Nicolas Massu (Chi) bt David Nalbandian (Arg) 7-6 4-6 7-6

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