Davydenko, Tsonga, Isner Reach Quarter-finals

© Getty ImagesJo-Wilfried Tsonga is leading French title hopes in Montpellier.

World No. 11 Nikolay Davydenko advanced to the quarter-finals of the Open Sud de France Wednesday, dismissing German qualifier Mischa Zverev 7-5, 6-3 at the ATP World Tour 250 indoor hard court tennis tournament in Montpellier.

The top-seeded Russian fended off 10 break point chances for Zverev, while capitalising on two of the five opportunities he created to secure victory in one hour and 35 minutes and reach his seventh tour-level quarter-final of the season.

Davydenko was joined in the last eight by second-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who cruised past Portugal’s Frederico Gil 6-3, 6-4 in 76 minutes. The leading French title hope saved all five break points he faced and struck 11 aces to improve to a 2-0 career lead over the No. 100-ranked Gil.

Buy Tickets | TV Schedule

The 29-year-old Tsonga, who still has an outside chance of qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at No. 12 in the year-to-date ATP Rankings, improved to a 30-15 match record on the season. The Le Mans native is chasing his third ATP World Tour title on home soil, to add to triumphs at 2008 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris and 2009 Marseille.

Fifth seed John Isner took his ace tally for the season to 999 after firing 27 aces to defeat French qualifier Adrian Mannarino 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-3.

The American also saved six break points and earned the only service break of the match in the eighth game of the final set to clinch victory in two hours and 11 minutes. He has already served 346 aces more than his previous career-best total (653) last season, including setting a new record by hitting 113 aces against Nicolas Mahut in their epic first-round match at Wimbledon.

The 25 year old, who won his first ATP World Tour title in Auckland (d. Clement) in January, is through to his sixth quarter-final of the season. 

In remaining first-round action, in-form Finn Jarkko Nieminen came from a set down to defeat France’s Florent Serra 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-1 in just under two hours. Former World No. 13 Nieminen has won 12 of his past 15 matches, including finishing runner-up in Bangkok (l. to Garcia-Lopez).