By Alberto Amalfi | Friday, September 25, 2015

 

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga edged Nicolas Mahut, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5, in Metz to reach his first semifinal since Roland Garros in Metz.

Photo credit: Arnaud Briand/Moselle Open

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga denied his doubles partner's upset bid to reach the Metz semifinals.

Tsonga smacked 12 aces fighting off fellow Frenchman and sometime Davis Cup doubles partner Nicolas Mahut, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5, advancing to his first semifinal since Roland Garros in June.

Video: Wawrinka Receives Massage From Fan in Metz

The 67th-ranked Mahut saved a set point in the tie break, winning three straight points to snatch the opening set. Tsonga broke serve to open the second set. Leading 6-5 in the decider, Tsonga broke in the final game to wrap up a two hour, 23-minute victory.

The third-seeded Tsonga will play fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber for a place in the Moselle Open final.

Kohlschreiber advanced on a walkover when top-seeded Stan Wawrinka was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a sprained right ankle he sustained defeating Dustin Brown in the round of 16 on Thursday night.

"Unfortunately, I have to pull out because yesterday I twisted my ankle at 5-4 in the first set," said Wawrinka. "It was painful in the match, but still OK with tape on it. But after a lot of treatment last night and some tests this morning, it's dangerous for me to play because the pain is still there. So I will have to see a doctor to see if I will be OK in the next few weeks.

The 17th-ranked Tsonga has beaten Kohlschreiber in seven of eight prior meetings. Kohlschreiber is playing for his second trip to the Metz final; he was 2009 runner-up to Gael Monfils.

The other semifinal pits second-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon against Martin Klizan.

The No. 6-seeded Klizan cracked 11 aces edging Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in two hours, 16 minutes.

Two-time tournament champion Simon defused Gilles Muller, 6-4, 6-4, in one hour, 17 minutes. Simon, who won the title in 2010 and again in 2013 when he beat Tsonga in an all-French final, saved all four break points he faced.

“It was a good match especially against a player like Gilles Muller,” said Simon. “I feel good, I'm moving well and I’m happy with the way I'm playing from the baseline.”