Tsonga battles back, moves on in Brisbane

BRISBANE, Australia, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, last year's Australian Open runner-up, was a second-round winner Wednesday in the Brisbane International, a tuneup for the open.

The second-seeded Tsonga was shut out in the first set but battled back to take down Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 0-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-5). Tsonga fired four aces in each of the last two sets.

Japan's Kei Nishikori upset fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.

Paul-Henri Mathieu of France eliminated Latvian Ernests Gulbis 6-3, 6-4. Gulbis had topped top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the first round of the event.

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, seeded No. 3, rolled over Croatia's Mario Ancic 6-2, 6-3.

In other matches, Florent Serra of France defeated Austria's Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 6-3 and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic beat Michael Llodra of France 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.

The Australian Open begins Jan. 19 in Melbourne.