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Top seed Marin Cilic remained on course for possible inclusion in next month's World Tour Finals by reaching the quarter-finals with a 7-6(7) 6-4 defeat of German Daniel Brands in Vienna.

Cilic is among 10 men chasing the last two places in the men's season-ending championships in London from November 22.

French third seed Gael Monfils also kept his hopes of a berth alive as he fought through over Czech outsider Jan Hajek 6-1 2-6 6-4.

Monfils, winner of a title in Metz indoors, is placed provisional 16th, last candidate in the pecking order for London.

"I had a good first set, I was solid and aggressive," said last year's finalist. "But in the second I played too short. I lacked some rhythm in the third but I found some good shots to finish it off. I have to be happy with that."

Cilic, recent finalist in Beijing, where he lost to Novak Djokovic, stands provisional 12th in the race. But he is under pressure from rival seeds at the Stadtdalle, with number two Radek Stepanek on 14th.

The season will come down to this weekend and the next fortnight, with final spots in the eight-man London field to be possibly decided at the Paris Masters, the last event of the regular season from November 9.

Against the 125th-ranked Brands, wild card Cilic - he came late to the field when injured US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro withdrew - threw down seven aces in just over 90 minutes on court.

The Cilic victory was his 42nd of the season against 18 losses and a title in early January in Chennai.

Cilic will play a quarter-final against Spain's sixth seed Feliciano Lopez, a winner over temperamental local Daniel Koellerer 6-3 6-3.

Lopez has plenty riding on the match as he tries to continues his advance at the site of his lone ATP singles title, from 2004.

The 28-year-old Lopez, who played a Shanghai semi-final this month but was unable to finish against Rafael Nadal due to an ankle problem, has now reached the quarter-finals in Vienna six times.

"I want to play against the top players," said the Spaniard. "It's a test and the only way to know where your game stacks up.

"I'm looking forward to playing him, it should be an interesting match."

Koellerer, known as a hothead, lived up to his reputation, smashing a racket after losing the opening set and failing to capitalise in the second after getting an early break back.

Lopez is only now turning the corner after losing ten times in first rounds during 2009 and seeing his ranking fall from inside the top 30 to its current 45th.

Watch highlights of the semi-finals in Vienna from 10.30pm on Saturday on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe.

AFP