HALLE, Germany - Milos Raonic's run at the Gerry Weber Open is over after Germany's Philipp Petzschner downed the eighth-seeded Canadian 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in quarter-final play Friday.
Petzschner will take on No. 2 seed Tomas Berdych after the Czech downed fifth-seeded Viktor Troicki 7-6 (3), 6-1 to reach the semis.
In other quarter-final play, German Philipp Kohlschreiber eliminated defending champion Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (4), 6-3, and will face third-seeded Gaels Monfils, who topped No. 6 Florian Mayer 6-4, 6-4.
Petzschner, the Wimbledon doubles champion from last year and semifinalist in Halle, broke Raonic's first service game and held serve deep into the second set.
Petzschner failed to capitalize on a 5-2 lead in the second-set tiebreaker as Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., took two service points off the German and won 8-6.
In the third set, Petzschner broke Raonic's opening service game again and jumped to a 3-0 lead. The German failed to convert three break points for 5-1 but won when Raonic's backhand drop attempt went into the net after nearly two hours.
"I am very happy that I could repeat my success from last year," Petzschner said. "We'll see what else is possible."
It wasn't all bad news for Raonic as he and partner Robin Haase of the Netherlands defeated Hewitt and fellow Australian Peter Luczak 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 10-5 later Friday to advance to the doubles final.
Berdych fended off three break points in the early stages of the first set against Troicki, which went to a tiebreaker. Berdych took two points off Troicki's serve for a 4-1 lead he did not surrender.
Berdych broke Troicki in the fourth game for a 3-1 advantage and took a 5-1 cushion on a second break. Troicki fought off three match points in the next game before Berdych blasted a forehand winner on the fourth match point.
"I am finally feeling on the court how I would like to feel," said Berdych, last year's Wimbledon finalist, who needed just one hour 21 minutes to beat the Serb. "It's still not 100 per cent. But I am finally getting the right rhythm.
"I was quite confident from the beginning of the game that I could do well. So maybe that's why I looked calm."
Berdych has been viewed as the favourite after Roger Federer withdrew before the tournament started.
Monfils and Mayer, meanwhile, each broke in the first set before Monfils earned his second break in the 10th game to take the set 6-4.
Monfils broke Mayer's serve for a 4-2 lead in the second set only to see the German break right back. The Frenchman picked up a match point on Mayer's serve in the 10th game and finished the match in one hour four minutes on a forehand down the line.
"I'm number eight in the world so this isn't really a surprise," Monfils said. "I'm happy with the way I am playing on the grass. And this is great preparation for Wimbledon."
Hewitt, who won Halle last year on his debut, will have been pleased to have played three single matches this week in his first tour action since March after foot and ankle injuries.
Kohlschreiber, the 2008 finalist, and Hewitt held serve in the first set, before the German picked up a mini break for a 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker and won it five points later.
Kohlschreiber secured the only break of the match for 5-3 and finished off Hewitt with an ace on his first match point.
"I don't know anything that really didn't work today," Kohlschreiber said. "I'm happy that things just went well. I couldn't really do anything wrong today."
