Tsonga takes three-set win in Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain, April 22 (UPI) -- No. 3-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga needed three sets Wednesday but was able to advance to the quarterfinals of the $2.1 million Barcelona Open in Spain.

Tsonga didn't drop a service game after the first set of a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 third-round, clay-court win over 15th-seeded Nicolas Almagro. Almagro had a clear advantage in the first set, winning 59 percent of the points, but Tsonga lost just 11 points over the nine games he served in the second and third sets in taking the victory.

Second-seeded Robin Soderling had an easier time, taking just 58 minutes to dispatch Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-3. Soderling didn't face a break point in the match.

Two matches in addition to Tsonga's Wednesday went the full three sets, including No. 5-seeded Fernando Verdasco's 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 defeat of 11th-seeded Jurgen Melzer and Thiemo De Bakker's 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) upset of fifth-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Also Wednesday, No. 13-seeded Thomaz Bellucci topped Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-4 and eighth-seeded David Ferrer advanced when Simone Bolelli retired with a right wrist injury. Ferrer was ahead 6-0, 3-0 when the match was stopped.

Unseeded Ernests Gulbis and Eduardo Schwank also made it through to the quarterfinals. Schwank stopped Ivan Navarro 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) and Gulbis routed Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-3.