Tsonga survives Gasquet scare to reach last eight

Melbourne: Seventh-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stayed on track for a potential quarter-final with Roger Federer when he beat fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a fourth-round match on Monday at the Australian Open.

Tsonga, who lost the 2008 Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic, would meet Federer in the final eight if the 17-time Grand Slam singles winner beats Milos Raonic of Canada in a fourth-round match later on Monday at the Rod Laver Arena.

Although Tsonga and Gasquet have met twice before at a Grand Slam, including here in 2008, it was the first time in the Open era that two Frenchmen ranked in the top 10 have played each other at a major. Their career record is now even at 4-4.