The top seed Marin Cilic was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Metz Tennis International with a 6-4 6-1 defeat to Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.
The sixth-seeded Kohlschreiber easily tamed the towering Croatian's booming serve and broke in the ninth game to take the opening set.
He quickly opened a 3-nil lead in the second set and never looked back, setting up a semi-final meeting with local favourite Gilles Simon, the eighth seed.
German qualifier Mischa Zverev continued his fine run by beating Finn Jarko Nieminen 7-6 6-3.
He will face France's Richard Gasquet, the fourth seed, who beat Spanish seventh-seed Tommy Robredo 7-6 7-6 in the semi-finals.