National champion Ashutosh Singh played out of his skin to oust local hope Aqeel Khan and reach the singles semi-finals in US $10,000 ITF grass court tournament in Lahore on Thursday.
The second seeded Indian overcame the sixth seed 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-6(4) in the quarter-finals.
Khan won last week's event, beating Divij Sharan in the final.
Sharan's challenge ended on Thursday when he went down to compatriot Sunil Kumar Sipaeya 3-6, 1-6 in another quarter-final.
Also making an exit was seventh seed Vivek Shokeen, who succumbed to the top seed Czech Adam Vejmelka 1-6, 4-6.
The top four seeds will clash in the semi-finals. Sipaeya takes on Vejmelka while Ashutosh meets fourth seed Bogdan-Victor Leonte.
The Romanian player pipped eighth seed Hsin-Han Lee of Taipei 6-4, 6-4 in another quarter-final.
Meanwhile, the Indian duo of Ashutosh and Shokeen won their second doubles title in three weeks when they beat the second seeded pair of Leonte and Vejmelka 6-1, 6-4.
The Delhi boys had also won the doubles title at the home ITF event held in Gulbarga, Karnataka.
