Sela will next face sixth-seeded Sam Querrey, who beat fellow American Ryan Sweeting 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 as he continues his bid for a third straight final. Querrey has lost in the final round of his past two events, at Newport and Indianapolis
Leonardo Mayer of Argentina upset No. 5 seed Igor Kunitsyn of Russia 7-6 (5), 6-7 (7), 6-3 and will try to reach his first semifinals when he faces second-seeded Mardy Fish. American Fish beat Chris Guccione of Australia 6-7 (3), 7-6 (12), 6-4 in the late match.
Fish fought off three match points in the second set tiebreaker and got the only service break of the match early in the third to eliminate Guccione.
Fish, a semifinalist in this event last year, fell behind 3-0 in the second set tiebreaker, rallied to get even, and saved match points at 6-5, 8-7 and 10-9. He captured the set when Guccione hit a backhand into the net and a forehand volley long.
"I was lucky to win it," said Fish, who opened the third set with a break. He closed out the 2-hour, 22-minute match with an ace and a service winner.
Sela was forced to wear out his less experienced opponent in the third set to remain in the tournament.
"He played a good game to break me in the second set and it was a little tough to see because of the sun," Sela said. "In the third set, I was returning serve and controlling the points and moving him around and I think he got a little tired."
Querrey won the first set of his match, then fell behind 5-0 in the second. He rallied to pull even at 5-5 and held serve to force the tiebreaker. Sweeting won that 7-5, but Querrey regained control with an early service break in the third set.
"I kind of lost focus in the second set a little bit," Querrey said. "Then I think he kind of lost focus. He let me right back into it without me really playing well, then he picked it up in the tiebreaker. I was kind of bummed there (at 5-0), but it happens. You've just got to stay positive and bounce back and I thought I did a good job of that in the third set.
Mayer had to deal with both the sun and his nerves before ousting Kunitsyn. The Argentine was up 5-2 and serving for the match in the second set. But he lost that game without winning a point, then fell behind 6-5, before holding serve to force the tiebreaker.
In the third set, he got a service break to go up 5-3 and closed out the match with his ninth ace.
Mayer said through an interpreter that when he served at 5-2 in the second set, the sun bothered him, and at 5-4 he was "a little nervous to close out the match. But I learned from it and I was a little bit more relaxed" in the final set.
Top-seeded Tursunov loses in Indianapolis quarters
