Tsonga battles past Nishikori

Paris - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga kept alive home hopes at the French Open on Tuesday by beating Japan's fifth seed Kei Nishikori in five sets to reach the semi-finals.

Tsonga, seeded 14, won 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 in a contest that lasted nearly four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The match was interrupted for more than half an hour late in the second set after a metal sheet from a giant video screen was blown off on a windy afternoon in Paris, crashing into spectators and leaving three with minor injuries.

Through to his second French Open semi-final in three years, Tsonga will meet Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in the last four after the eighth seed beat Roger Federer earlier in the day.

No Frenchman has won the title at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah in 1983.

Results from the 10th day of the French Open at Roland Garros on Tuesday (x denotes seeded player):

Men

Quarter-finals

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x14) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN x5) 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3

Stan Wawrinka (SUI x8) bt Roger Federer (SUI x2) 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

Women

Quarter-finals

Ana Ivanovic (SRB x7) bt Elina Svitolina (UKR x19) 6-3, 6-2

Lucie Safarova (CZE x13) bt Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x21) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3