TOKYO, Oct 3: Top seed Rainer Schuettler stormed into the semifinals of the Japan Open with an efficient 6-3 6-3 win over Australian Scott Draper on Friday.

However, Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis was forced to retire from the $860,000 Tokyo tournament with a sore neck while trailing Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 5-2 in the first set.

The Australian, who won in Shanghai at the weekend, sustained a stiff neck after sleeping awkwardly on Thursday night.

Schuettler, closing in on a spot at the season-ending Masters Cup, was razor-sharp from the baseline and solid at the net, the German taking just 68 minutes to win in sweltering conditions.

The Australian Open runner-up saved a break point at 3-3 in the second set with a brilliant reflex volley that took the wind out of Draper.

Schuettler wrapped up victory soon after the turnaround, forcing his opponent into a wild return on his first match point.

Schuettler will face the unseeded Saulnier on Saturday after an injury time-out failed to relieve the discomfort for Philippoussis.

Third seed Paradorn Srichaphan was two points away from defeat against close friend Lee Hyung-taik but the 24-year-old Thai battled back to squeeze out a 4-6 7-6 6-3 win over the seventh-seeded South Korean.

Lee, who memorably won his first ATP title in Sydney a week before being destroyed 6-1 6-0 6-0 by Andre Agassi at the Australian Open in January, suddenly fell apart at 5-5 in the second-set tiebreak.

Paradorn, who has won two tournaments this year, quickly broke in the first game of the final set and closed out the match after two hours and 15 minutes with an unplayable return off a weak second serve from Lee.

The Asian number one next plays second-seeded Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean, who outclassed American Jan-Michael Gambill 6-3 7-6 in an evening match.

Among the women, fast-rising Maria Sharapova moved a step closer to her first WTA Tour title with a hard-earned 7-5 7-6 win over Claudine Schaul of Luxembourg, the 16-year-old Russian storming through the second-set tiebreak 7-1.

The Florida-based Sharapova will face Zheng Jie in the semi-finals after the Chinese player beat compatriot Yan Zi 7-6 6-3.

Results: (x denotes seeds):

Men

Quarterfinal: Rainer Schuettler (GER x1) bt Scott Draper (AUS) 6-3, 6-3; Paradorn Srichaphan (THA x3) bt Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR x7) 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Cyril Saulnier (FRA) bt Mark Philippoussis (AUS x5) 5-2, ret; Sebastien Grosjean (FRA x2) bt Jan-Michael Gambill (USA x8) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).

Women

Quarterfinals: Maria Sharapova (RUS x5) bt Claudine Schaul (LUX) 7-5, 7-6 (7/1); Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Yan Zi (CHN) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

MOSCOW: Results from the fifth day of the 2.3 million dollar Kremlin Cup tennis tournament here Friday.

Quarterfinals:

Men: Taylor Dent (USA) bt Marc Rosset (SWI) 6-3, 6-4; Sargis Sargsian (ARM) bt Agustin Calleri (ARG x2) 6-3, 6-4

Women

Anastasia Myskina (RUS x 4) bt Eleni Danilidou 6-3, 6-0; Anna Pistolesi (ISR) bt Elena Bovina (RUS) 6-4, 6-4; Elena Dementieva (RUS x3) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-1, 2-1 retired.—Reuters/AFP