Fernandez produced a strong performance at Lamar Tennis Center in Baton Rouge, defeating Gerard rival 6-3, 6-3.

The Argentine will face France’s Nicholas Peifer in the last four of the wheelchair tennis Super Series.

Peifer was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over compatriot Stephane Houdet.

Top seed Shingo Kunieda was untroubled in his quarter-final, the Japanese star seeing off Sweden’s Stefan Olsson in straight sets 6-3, 7-5.

He will lock horns with Alfie Hewett next.

Hewett triumphed 6-3, 6-1 in an all-British quarter-final with Gordon Reid.

The biggest shock in the women’s quarters saw unseeded American Dana Mathewson earn a 6-3, 6-1 win over Germany’s Sabine Ellerbrock, the third seed.

She will face Aniek van Koot after the second seed claimed a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Britain’s Lucy Shuker.

Mathewson will be the only non-Dutch player in the semi-final line-up, as Diede de Groot and Marjolein Buis won their respective matches.

De Groot was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Chile’s Macarena Cabrillana, while Buis secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Sakhorn Thanthasit of Thailand.

Tournament favourite David Wagner cruised into the quad singles semi-finals by beating Japan’s Mitsuteru Moroishi 7-5, 6-3.

The American will face Australia’s Heath Davidson, who battled to a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 win against Dutchman Sam Schroder.

South Africa’s Lucas Sithole won 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 against United States’ Bryan Barten to set up a meeting with Japan’s Koji Sugeno.

Sugeno claimed a 6-2, 6-1 win over another American player, Nicholas Taylor.