Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Pierre Hugues Herbert 6-3 6-4 in an all French head-to-head match to reach the quarter finals at the Moselle Open in Metz.
Tsonga won 82 % of his first serve points and fended off all three set points to reach the quarter finals. He broke in the the fourth game of the opening set and in the first game of the second set to seal the win.
Tsonga has improved his winning record to 4-0 in his four head-to-head matches against Herbert.
Tsonga set up a quarter final against Nikoloz Basilashvili, who came back from 4-6 down in the tie-break of the second set to beat German qualifier Yannick Maden 6-2 7-6 (8-6). Tsonga and Basilashvili tied 1-1 in their head-to-head matches, but the Georgian player beat his French rival won their most recent clash in Lyon last May.
Lucas Pouille cruised past this year’s Antalya champion Lorenzo Sonego 6-1 6-4 setting up a quarter final against Filip Krajinovic. Pouille raced out the last five games of the first set and fended off both break points he faced. The Frenchman broke twice in a row in the fourth and sixth game to win the first set 6-1. Pouille rallied from 15-40 down to break serve in the seventh game at deuce. He served out the win after saving two break points in the 10th game.
Pablo Carreno Busta upset David Goffin 6-3 6-2 with four breaks of serve avenging his recent defeat against the Belgian player. Carreno Busta set up a quarter final against Aljaz Bedene, who beat Gilles Simon 7-6 (11-9) 6-2. The Slovenian player fended off two set points at 5-6 and at 7-8 in the tie-break of the first set and won the first four points of the second set en route to closing out the second set 6-2.
