Defending champion Tsonga into Moselle Open quarterfinals

METZ, France, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gained a spot in the quarterfinals of the Moselle Open with a win Wednesday in the French tennis tournament.

Tsonga, who is also the top seed for this year's event, raced past Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 6-4. Tsonga fired seven aces and dropped only 16 points across 10 games serving. He converted 2-of-5 -- one in each set -- break opportunities.

He'll go against Tobias Kamke in the quarterfinals Friday. Kamke had a poor first set but turned it around for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Marton Fucsovics. Kamke lost his serve four times but three of those breaks were in the first set.

No. 6-seeded Sam Querrey also notched a second-round win, advancing when Paul-Henri Mathieu retired. Querrey, with nine aces and only four lost points on serve, won the first set 6-2 but Mathieu suffered a right leg injury and couldn't continue.

Benjamin Becker wrapped up the first round with a 6-3, 7-5 upset of firth-seeded Benoit Paire, taking nearly three-quarters of the points on serve.

Also in first-round matches Wednesday, Carlos Berlocq defeated Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-4; Albano Olivetti edged by Mischa Zverev 7-5, 7-6 (7-4); and Nicolas Mahut beat Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.