Tsonga Blasts Past Mahut Into QFs; Dolgopolov Overcomes Slow Start

© Yohan Brandt/Open 13Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut on Wednesday.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga began his Open 13 campaign with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in 56 minutes on Wednesday. It was the pair's third meeting.

Tsonga, the 2009 titlist (d. Llodra), broke Mahut's serve in the second game, hitting seven aces and winning 20 of 22 service points in the 29-minute first set. The World No. 6 broke in the third and fifth game of the second set and now has a 10-1 record on the season.

Tsonga, who lifted his eighth ATP World Tour title at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Monfils) in the first week of 2012, will next face compatriot Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the quarter-finals. Roger-Vasselin beat Flavio Cipolla of Italy 6-3, 6-0 in 78 minutes. He converted six of 18 break point opportunities.

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No. 3 seed Janko Tipsarevic cruised past qualifier David Goffin 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 29 minutes. The World No. 9 saved all six break points against his serve and won 81 per cent of his first serve points to reach the final eight. 

Tipsarevic advanced to the Aircel Chennai Open final (l. to Raonic) to start his season, and is bidding to win his third ATP World Tour title.

Sixth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov overcame a slow start against Czech Lukas Rosol in the first round to record a 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3 victory. The World No. 18 hit 14 aces and won 75 per cent of his service points in the pair's first tour-level meeting over one hour and 40 minutes. Rosol hit 15 aces, but dropped to a 2-6 record this season. Dolgopolov reached the Brisbane International final (l. to Murray) last month.

He will next play 2010 champion and 2009 runner-up Michael Llodra, who hit 12 aces past Swiss qualifier Marco Chiudinelli in a 7-6(2), 7-6(3) win. There were no breaks of serve in the pair's third encounter (Chiudinelli 2-1), with Frenchman Llodra saving seven break points and Chuidinelli four. The first-round match lasted one hour and 58 minutes.