By Chris Oddo | Thursday, January 21, 2016
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated his compatriot Pierre-Hugues Herbert in straight sets, but the outcomes of the match could have been quite different if Tsonga didn’t make this miraculous one-handed backhand pass to save set point in set two.
Tsonga has been known to spontaneously hit one-handed backhands in desperate moments, but we don’t know if he’s ever struck one as remarkable or memorable as this one.
The Frenchman improves to 13-1 at majors against fellow Frenchmen. He has not lost to a compatriot at a major since Wimbledon 2007 when he fell to Richard Gasquet.
Tsonga’s victory sets up a round of 16 clash with 7th-seeded Kei Nishikori. Japan’s No. 1 eased past Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in four sets, but he struggled with a right wrist issue and had to see the trainer on court at one point.
Tsonga took out Nishikori in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year, but Nishikori leads the lifetime head-to-head 4-2.