Clement sneaks into Metz quarters as Safin loses

Metz, France (Sports Network) - Veteran Frenchman Arnaud Clement upended his fifth-seeded countryman Richard Gasquet in Thursday's second-round action at Open de Moselle tennis event.
The 28-year-old Clement cut down the 20-year-old Gasquet in come-from-behind fashion, as he posted a 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 decision in just under three hours at Les Arenes de Metz. Clement won this event in 2003, while Gasquet was the runner-up here in 2004.
The Russian Marat Safin lost to Jurgen Melzer of Austria, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).
Third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic avoided an upset by leveling Italian Daniele Bracciali 6-0, 6-4 on Day 4.
Other second-round winners were American Mardy Fish, German Tobias Clemens and French favorite Sebastien Grosjean. Fish got past Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-3, 6-3, while Clemens outlasted the Frenchman and fellow qualifier Cyril Saulnier 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5) and Grosjean grounded his compatriot Julien Benneteau 7-5, 6-1.
Friday's quarterfinals will pit Djokovic against the upstart Clemens, Clement versus Grosjean and Florent Serra against his fellow Frenchman Marc Gicquel.