Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat last year’s finalist Kyle Edmund 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 after 1 hour and 29 minutes in the Round of 16 at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakesh on clay to reach his fourth quarter final in seven tournaments this season. Tsonga is playing in his first tournament on clay since Roland Garros 2017.
Tsonga dropped 14 points in ten service games and saved the only break point he faced.
Tsonga saved the only break point of the first set in the fifth game to hold his serve at deuce. Both players held on their service games with no further break points en route to the tie-break. Tsonga earned two set points at 6-4 in the tie-break. Edmund saved the second chance, when Tsonga made a double fault. Tsonga converted his third chance after a forehand error from Edmund.
Edmund did not face a break point in the first set, but Tsonga broke serve in the fifth game of the second set. The Frenchman held his next service games and sealed the win with a double break in the ninth game with a volley winner.
Tsonga is returning to his best form after missing seven and a half months following a knee surgery. This year he reached the Brisbane semifinal and won his 17th title in Montpellier.
Tsonga will face Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, who beat Dutchman Robin Haase 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 after 1 hour and 41 minutes to reach a quarter final at ATP Tour level for the second time in his career after Budapest in 2018.
Sonego dropped his serve twice and broke three times to clinch the win in straight sets. Sonego took the 7-5 edge in the tie-break and converted his first break point in the second game to open up a 2-0 lead at the start of the second set. At 4-2 Sonego came back from 15-30 down by winning two consecutive points to hold serve. The Italian player sealed the second set 6-3 on his first match point.
Gilles Simon cruised past Guido Andreozzi 6-2 6-2 after 1 hour and 16 minutes. The Frenchman dropped his serve once and converted five of his six break points.
Japan’s Taro Daniel edged Adrian Menendez Maceiras 6-2 1-6 6-1 after 1 hour and 44 minutes with five breaks of serve to reach his first quarter final since Winston Salem last August.
