Big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic reached the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow with a combative straight-sets win over French qualifier Edouard Roger-Vasselin on Friday.

Former world No. 14 Karlovic, now ranked 130th, is now one match away from his first ATP final since 2010 after beating 116th-rated Roger-Vasselin 7-6(4), 6-3.

Karlovic racked up 23 aces against the Frenchman, who had been bidding to reach a first career singles final.

The Croatian now plays either fourth seed Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil or Poland's power hitter Jerzy Janowicz.