Metz (AFP)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 61st World Player, qualified for the quarter-finals of the ATP tournament in Metz by beating 6-3, 6-4 Pierre-Hugues Herbert (55th) on Thursday, joining the next round Lucas Pouille ( 26th), Gilles Simon, title holder, having been eliminated.
Hung at the start of his first match on Tuesday, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did not do any detail to dismiss Herbert, who had to involve the physio after the loss of the first set, after 1 hour 28 minutes of exchanges.
Friday, for a place in the last four, Tsonga will face the winner of the match between the German qualifier Yannick Maden (129th) and the Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili (17th).
For his part, Lucas Pouille did not drag for his entry in the competition, leaving only five games (6-1, 6-4) to the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (51st) in just 67 minutes. He will have for opponent, in quarters, the Serbian Filip Krajinovic (49th).
However, it is already over for Gilles Simon (37th), triple winner and defending champion, who was eliminated by Slovenian Aljaz Bedene (76) 7-6 (11/9), 6-2.
"My back, I'm fine," assured after the match Gilles Simon, who had to give up the second round of the US Open because of vertebral pain.
"I had a very good match," he said. "I did a very good first set, it was the best I played of the year, I think," he continued, before paying tribute to his opponent and the "huge match" "he delivered on Thursday, especially to the service.
"The problem was that I could not turn it in. I could not read his service, I did not have a break point, which does not happen often," he explained. Simon.
Finally, big surprise with the elimination of the Belgian David Goffin (14th) 6-3, 6-2 by the Spaniard Pablo Carreno-Busta (62).
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