Kenny de Schepper overcame a second-set blip to defeat Marsel Ilhan and set up a meeting with defending champion Gael Monfils at the Open Sud de France on Tuesday.
World number 104 De Schepper needed just over an hour and a half to secure a 6-4 3-6 6-3 victory in Montpellier.
De Schepper earned the only break of the first set in the first game of the match and the tight nature of the clash continued into the second when Ilhan claimed a solitary break in the eighth game.
Ilhan fended off a break point when 1-0 down at the start of the decider, but his luck ran out when serving to level at 4-4. After breaking, De Schepper subsequently served out to love and moves on to meet fellow Frenchman and top seed Monfils.
There was further joy for the home fans in attendance as Edouard Roger-Vasselin came from a set down to defeat Andreas Beck 3-6 6-3 6-4, while wildcard Lucas Pouille was a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victor over Alexander Kudryavtsev.
Jan-Lennard Struff was the only seed in action on Tuesday, but the German fell at the first hurdle to Jarkko Nieminen.
The Finn broke Struff's serve on three occasions on his way to a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory.
Elsewhere, Dudi Sela triumphed over Jurgen Zopp 6-3 6-4.
There were two encounters in Tuesday's evening session and there was more success for France as Paul-Henri Mathieu and Benoit Paire defeated Taro Daniel and Nikoloz Basilashvili respectively, with both matches going to deciding sets.