BUENOS AIRES, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Fifth-seeded Spaniard Felix Mantilla was upset THursday in the second round of the $625,000 AT&T Cup by countryman Feliciano Lopez, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
After reaching the final at the Qatar Open and the quarterfinals of the Heineken Open last month, Mantilla cruised in his first-round match here.
But his impressive start came to a halt against Lopez, who reached the tournament through the qualifying rounds. In the opening round, he rallied to defeat Luis Horna of Peru in three sets.
Gonzalez will have a chance to knock off another countryman when he meets Jose Acasuso in Friday's quarterfinals. Acasuso advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Italien Andrea Gaudenzi on Thursday.
Seventh-seeded Marcelo Rios of Chile also was on the end of an upset Thursday as he was beaten by Argentine Mariano Zabaleta, 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-3.
It marked the second straight week that Zabaleta sent Rios home from a tournament. He also beat him in the first round at the BellSouth Open.
Zabaleta will meet Argentine Agustin Calleri in the quarters. Calleri, who ousted top seed Gustavo Kuerten in the first round, rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Brazilian Fernando Meligeni.
In Friday's other quarterfinal matches, David Nalbandian of Argentina meets Chilean Nicolas Massu, and Franco Squillari battles Juan Ignacio Chela in a matchup of Argentines.
