Tsonga upsets Berdych to light up Roland Garros

PARIS - Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga dismissed Czech star Tomas Berdych to delight the local spectators who came to Roland Garros and just found all play halted for more than two hours by rain on Sunday.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France celebrates after beating Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during their men's singles match at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, May 31, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

The No. 14 seed made through to the quarter-finals with a thrilling 6-3, 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory while the fourth-seeded Berdych got really upset with his demand of suspending the match amid drizzle denied and booed by fans.

Having wafted a backhand long, Berdych granted the injury-plagued Tsonga the victory, his very first over a top 10 player at a Grand Slam since he ousted Roger Federer here in 2013.

The Frenchman, one of the six players over 30 to feature in the last 16, will next play title tips Kei Nishikori of Japan.

"I was just trying to hang in there as much as I could. I was way far from my best tennis that I can play, and it's definitely a very disappointing loss for me," Berdych told a post-match press conference.

"It's not the time that I want to go home from this event. But that's how it is."

Tsonga, on the contrary, was quite upbeat, saying that "I'm feeling good. I'm playing good tennis. I'm solid."

"I have people around me who stay positive for me, and they help me to never give up," he spoke of the home crowd. "That's why I'm happy today, because the confidence is back."

Gael Monfils was also doing well on Sunday, tying world No. 2 Roger Federer at one set all, when their last 16 showcase was suspended for darkness.