Tokyo - Stan Wawrinka and Gilles Muller ran up duplicate scorelines on Friday, with their identical 6-3, 6-4 results sending the pair into a semi-final showdown at the Japan Open.
Top seed Wawrinka, the reigning French Open champion who lost in the first round at the Ariake Colosseum a year ago, spent just 58 minutes in dispatching American qualifier Austin Krajicek. Luxembourg's big-hitting Muller needed 95 minutes to send out French third seed Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-4.
Krajicek will move into the ranking top 100 for the first time as a result of his week in Japan.
Wawrinka has already defeated Muller twice this season, in Chennai and a month later in Rotterdam in February.
Wawrinka, champion three times this season, posted his 46th victory of 2015 as he heads into the final stretch of his season and prepares to take his place at the eight-man World Tour Finals next month.
The winner had no complaints about his light workout.
“I'm quite happy to win in an hour on a nice sunny day. My game was better today, I was much more relaxed. I have confidence in my shots and I'm playing well.
“It was a good match even if conditions are still a bit windy. But I don't worry about the weather, I just go out and play.”
Muller's win over Simon marked his first victory in three matches against the French player, with the Luxembourg 32-year-old now 31-20 on the season.
Highlight of the day was the clash between Japan's Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic, a re-run of the 2014 US Open final won by the Croatian.
Australian Nick Kyrgios was later facing Frenchman Benoit Paire in the last of the quarter-finals.– ANA-DPA