Volandri makes semifinals in Romania

BUCHAREST, Romania, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Filippo Volandri rolled to a victory Friday and is the only unseeded player to earn a semifinals berth at the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy tournament in Romania.

Volandri, who earlier in the week ousted No. 3-seeded Marcel Granollers, routed Joao Souza in Friday's quarterfinals 6-2, 6-0 in 61 minutes. Both games he lost were service breaks as he won all seven of Souza's service games.

Volandri draws second-seeded Florian Mayer in Saturday's semifinals. Mayer also had an easy time Friday, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Albert Ramos. Mayer saved both of the break points he faced and took nearly 75 percent of the points on serve.

Top-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela, the tournament's defending champion, capped Friday's play with a 7-5, 6-3 win over seventh-seeded Andreas Seppi. The first set saw seven service breaks. Chela, who took 56 percent of the points off Seppi's serve, got two more breaks in the second set.

Also advancing was fourth-seeded Pablo Andujar, who eliminated Alessandro Giannessi 6-3, 6-4. Giannessi, in his first main draw event of the year, forced 10 break-point situations but was able to finish only one.

Chela is 2-0 in his previous matches against Andujar. Mayer beat Volandri in their only meeting, which came in 2005.