After a somewhat disappointing first week, France’s top junior Johan Sebastien Tatlot is touching his best, as was seen to good effect yesterday in his 6-3, 6-3 demolition of top-seeded Yang Tsung-Hua in the quarter-finals of the US$10,000 ITF Cambodian Futures for the GLF Cham Prasidh Open at the National Tennis Center.

Looking for his third singles title of the year following his success in Belgium and Italy on clay, Tatlot always had the Taiwanese right hander well within his sights, winning 65 points in all to his rival’s 47.

While Yang, who’s last singles triumph at this level was back in 2011, had his serve broken three times, Tatlot kept all his service games safe.

The 18-year-old French right hander, who dropped down in the seeding list to five this week, will now meet Lee Duck Hee of South Korea in today’s semi-final. In an all-Korean affair lasting three sets and slightly more than two hours, Lee overcame Kim Seong Kwan 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Powered by 15 aces, Germany’s Robin Kern gave a harrowing time on an adjacent court to another Taiwanese hope, second seeded Liang Chi Huang, in a 6-4, 6-2 win.

Hard-serving Kern will face Israel’s Dekel Bar in today’s other semi-final. The over six-foot (1.82m) Bar once again used his alacrity around the court and the power of his serve and ground strokes to get past India’s Karunuday Singh, who retired at 1-4 down in the second set after losing the first tie break.

Singh, who lost the GLF Open final last Saturday, reportedly pulled a muscle in his lower back.

The 7-6, 4-1 win for Bar follows his second round triumph over third seeded Niki Takuto of Japan on Tuesday.