French Open: Tsonga delights Paris with upset of No. 4 seed Berdych

Matthew Rogerson

French Open: Tsonga delights Paris with upset of No. 4 seed Berdych image

Fourth seed Tomas Berdych crashed out of the French Open on Sunday as he was unable to cope with a powerful display from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Roland Garros.

Tsonga won the rain-affected 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3 defeat.

Berdych became the first man to take a set off Tsonga at this year's competition, but Tsonga, the 14th seed, won to set up a quarterfinal match against Kei Nishikori.

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Nishikori, the tournament's fifth seed, defeated Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Berdych arrived at the tournament having reached the quarterfinal of every competition in 2015, but he made 15 unforced errors in surrendering a sloppy second set.

"I was just trying to hang in there as much as I could," Berdych said. "I was way far from my best tennis that I can play, and it's definitely a very disappointing loss for me. It's not the time that I want to go home from this event. But that's how it is."

Efficient and nearly flawless, Nishikori broke Gabashvili five times and hit 40 winners in a two-hour display of dominance.

Roger Federer and France's Gael Monfils were able to play two sets before rain halted play on Sunday. They will resume on Monday at 1-1.

Also Sunday, Stan Wawrinka defeated Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

 

Matthew Rogerson