NEWPORT (Rhode Island), July 13: Aisam-ul-Haq’s winning run came to an end when Belgium’s Dick Norman beat the Pakistani 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the 416,000-dollar Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on Friday.

Aisam, ranked 214th in the world, opened his campaign in the grasscourt tournament with a bang, eliminating top seed Mardy Fish in straight sets on Tuesday followed by a 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-4 victory over Nathan Healey of Australia on Wednesday.

Fourth-seeded Frenchman Fabrice Santoro rallied to beat Frank Dancevic in three sets here on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals.

After dropping the opening set against the Canadian, Santoro recovered to post a 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-4 victory in the grasscourt tournament. Mischa Zverev will be Santoro’s next opponent after outlasting Danai Udomchoke of Thailand, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).

Fifth-seeded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut also reached the quarter-finals, posting a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 victory over countryman Antony Dupuis. Mahut moves on to play Prakash Amritraj of India.

Amritraj beat American Scoville Jenkins 6-4, 6-3 to advance.

Other quarter-final matches already set include No. 2 Vincent Spadea against South African Wesley Moodie.

Results:

Second round: Nicolas Mahut (FRA x5) bt Antony Dupuis (FRA) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1; Mischa Zverev (GER) bt Danai Udomchoke (THA) 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4); Fabrice Santoro (FRA x4) bt Frank Dancevic (CAN) 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-4; Prakash Amritraj (IND) bt Scoville Jenkins (US) 6-4, 6-3.

Quarter-finals: Dick Norman (BEL) bt Aisam-ul-Haq (pak) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

FERRER INTO LAST EIGHT

BASTAD (Sweden): Second-seeded David Ferrer beat Nicolas Massu of Chile 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Swedish Open.

Ferrer, the highest seeded player left in the clay-court tournament, wasted four match points with Massu serving at 5-2 in the third set before finally winning.

Ferrer will next face Gilles Simon of France, who beat seventh-seeded Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-4, 6-4.

Fourth-seeded Carlos Moya, the 1998 French Open champion, also reached the quarters, beating 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden 6-2, 6-3.

Moya will play Robin Soderling, who beat Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (4), in the next round.

Results:

Second round: Carlos Moya (ESP) bt Thomas Johansson (SWE) 6-2, 6-3; Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-4, 6-4; David Ferrer (ESP) bt Nicolas Massu (CHI) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Robin Soderling (SWE) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4).

FRENCH TRIO IN QUARTERS

GSTAAD (Switzerland): Holder Richard Gasquet completed a French sweep into the quarter-finals of the Swiss Open on Thursday as compatriots Paul-Henri Mathieu and Gael Monfils advanced to a first-time showdown. The third-seeded Gasquet, a Wimbledon semi-finalist against Roger Federer, demolished Belgian Kristof Vliegen 6-3, 6-4, recovering from a lost break in the second set as warm, dry weather in the Alps replaced three days of rain and cold.

Fifth seed Mathieu defeated Feliciano Lopez, losing finalist here to Gasquet in 2006, through a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) scoreline.

Monfils was ruthless as he swept aside Czech qualifier Jiri Vanek 6-1, 6-4 in 51 minutes - seven minutes quicker than Gasquet – on the back of 15 aces while never facing a break point from the outclassed number 120.

Results:

Second round: Marcelo Vassallo Arguello (ARG) bt Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Stefan Koubek (AUT) 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6); Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA x5) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4); Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Potito Starace (ITA x8) 6-3, 7-5; Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Jiri Vanek (CZE) 6-1, 6-4; Richard Gasquet (FRA x3) bt Kristof Vliegen (BEL) 6-3, 6-4.—Agencies