Viktor Troicki is one win away from equalling his best performance at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament after knocking out Hyeon Chung, one of four teenagers in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, 7-6(5), 6-2 in 90 minutes to maintain his early season form.
The two-time Sydney champion, who also finished runner-up to Roberto Bautista Agut in last week’s Sofia final, now goes on to meet the oldest player in the draw, 34-year-old Nicolas Mahut. Troicki is hoping to better his 2011 run to the Rotterdam semi-finals (l. to Soderling).
Mahut overcame fellow Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 6-2 in their fourth meeting.
The 34-year-old Mahut who has played four matches this week at the Ahoy stadium, will be competing in his second quarter-final of the season after advancing into the top eight last month in Sydney, where he lost to Troicki.
A repeat of that match could be on the Rotterdam programme if eighth seed Troicki defeats South Korean Hyeon Chung later. Mahut, the ATP number 54, had not defeated Chardy in any of their three previous meetings. Mahut advanced in just under 90 minutes, overcoming nine Chrady aces and saving all of the seven break points he faced.
The Frenchman has a winning history in the Netherlands, claiming the Rosmalen summer grass event in 2013 and 2015.
“I’m happy with this win,” Mahut, now 5-4 on the season, said. “I was fortunate to win it in two sets.
“I had so many opportunities but he was serving too well. I had one more chance at set point in the first and I took it. I had a good rhythm, I’m pleased with this one.”
Chardy was playing Rotterdam for the second time after winning a round in 2015. The number 28 stands 6-4 in 2016.

Top seed Nishikori, qualifier Nishioka advance
Three-time defending champion Kei Nishikori and Japanese compatriot Yoshihito Nishioka, a 130th-ranked qualifier, advanced to the quarter-finals of the ATP Memphis Open with straight-sets triumphs.
Top seed Nishikori defeated 124th-ranked Ryan Harrison 6-2, 7-5 to book a last-eight date against Kazakstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin in the indoor hardcourt tournament.
Seventh-ranked Nishikori beat the American in the second round at Memphis for the second year in a row. Nishikori also won their only other prior meeting last year at Indian Wells.
Nishikori served for the match in the 10th game of the second set but Harrison denied him on four match points and forced the first break points the Asian star faced in the match, finally cracking his serve on his fifth chance to level the set at 5-5.
Nishikori responded by breaking Harrison again in the next game and holding at love to claim the victory after 81 minutes.
Left-hander Nishioka downed Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko 6-1, 6-3 to book a quarter-final match against US fourth seed Sam Querrey, who eliminated Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen 6-3, 6-4.
Kukushkin advanced by ousting US fifth seed Denis Kudla 6-1, 7-5, winning 22 of 30 points off the American’s second serve.

Erratic Venus into Taiwan quarter-finals
Venus Williams beat Poland’s Urszula Radwanska 6-4, 6-2 to set up a Taiwan Open quarter-final against Anastasija Sevastova, despite not hitting top form on Thursday.
The top seed was broken in each set but she still had too much for Radwanska, ranked 101 places lower at 113th in the world, as she went through in 86 minutes. The seven-time Grand Slam winner, 35, sent down two double faults and only landed 48 percent of her first serves in the first set but reached her debut quarter-final of 2016.
Next up for Williams is a first career meeting with Latvia’s Sevastova, also ranked outside the top 100 at 103, as she eyes her 49th tournament victory.
Local hope Hsieh Su-wei beat Mandy Minella 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to join Williams in the last eight alongside fellow seed Misaki Do.

Former World No 1 Henin to coach Svitolina
Former world number one Justine Henin of Belgium is set to serve as a coaching consultant to Ukraine’s top player Elina Svitolina, local media reported yesterday.
“I’m very happy that Justine will join our team,” Ukrainian sports website www.tennis.sport.ua quoted Svitolina, 21, as saying.
The contract of the 33-year-old Belgian says that she will act as a special consultant to Svitolina, currently ranked 21st in the world.
“It’s too early to say anything for the moment as we have plenty of work to do,” Svitolina said.
“I need to be completely focused on my practices and matches as every slight detail is very important at this level.”
Henin will accompany the Ukrainian player to some of her tournaments, the first of which is coming up next week in Dubai.
Svitolina studied at Henin’s tennis academy in Belgium and practised under Henin’s supervision in Abu Dhabi ahead of this season’s start.
She noted that her co-operation with Henin—who won seven Grand Slam singles titles and a gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 -- had been very helpful.
This season Svitolina, who has won three WTA titles during her career so far, reached the final of the Hopman Cup tournament in Perth, Australia last month, along with Alexandr Dolgopolov.