Tsonga, Monfils recover to reach Tokyo semi-final

TOKYO - French seeds Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils both rallied past first-set deficits to set up their second career meeting in Asia with wins into the semi-finals of the Japan Open Friday.

Second-seeded Monfils staged his second comeback in as many days, getting past Latvian Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Tsonga also recovered from a set down in his second-round match over compatriot Richard Gasquet 24 hours earlier.

The number four Monfils beat Swiss seventh seed Stan Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will face Tsonga for only the second time. Tsonga won their first meeting in Bangkok a year ago.

Former champion Lleyton Hewitt moved into his third career semi-final in the Japanese capital, ending the dream run of underdog Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 6-0.

Eighth-seed Hewitt is back into the last four at the Ariake colosseum for the first time since 2004, a showing which followed his 2001 title at the event.

Hewitt takes a 3-0 record into his match with Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who defeated Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).

The 2008 Australian Open finalist Tsonga set up match points against Gulbis with his 19th ace before bringing home the winner.

“I was serving well, but you also need some luck sometimes to win,” said Tsgona, holder of two titles this season. “I had to stay focussed on my game.

“In the first two sets he barely gave me a chance. But when I got a break late in the second set, things changed a bit.

“I think he got a bit nervous and I was able to take advantage, it was perfect timing for me.” The loss denied Gulbis the chance at his second career semi-final after his first in 2006.

The 189th-ranked Roger-Vasselin was brought back to earth by two-time Grand Slam winner Hewitt after the 25-year-old French player produced the shock of the week with his first-round elimination of US Open winner Juan Del Potro.

Hewitt is to play his third semi-final of 2009 after Houston - where he won - and Memphis, where he lost to Andy Roddick.

“It’s great to get a convincing win in the quarter-final stage, those matches are never easy,” said Hewitt, 33-18 on the season, “I’m happy to be back in the semis here in Japan again.”