Wildcard Ferrero, winner in 2002 and 2003, followed up his impressive victory over second seed Marat Safin [ Images ] on Thursday with more textbook claycourt tennis to win in one hour, 13 minutes.

It was Ferrero's first quarter-final since Valencia this time last year, after which his ranking went in to freefall following a bout of chicken pox and various nagging injuries.

The former French Open [ Images ] winner, bidding to equal Austrian Thomas Muster's three titles here, will play defending champion Guillermo Coria or Spain's David Ferrer in Saturday's semi-final.

In the other half of the draw, top seed Roger Federer [ Images ] takes on French teenager Richard Gasquet while Spain's in-form Rafael Nadal [ Images ] plays French Open champion Gaston Gaudio.

Friday's play was delayed as a mark of respect for the late Prince Rainier III of Monaco, whose funeral earlier in the day brought the principality to a standstill.