Wed Sep 24 11:22:25 2008

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Tsonga, Monfils land in Bangkok quarters

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Bangkok, Thailand (Sports Network) - After receiving first-round byes, French stars Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils were a pair of second-round winners Wednesday at the $576,000 Thailand Open.

The second-seeded Tsonga, this year's Australian Open runner-up, snuck past Czech qualifier Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 (11-9), 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), while the fourth- seeded Monfils, a French Open semifinalist, drove past American Robert Kendrick 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) on the hardcourts at Impact Arena.

The first round concluded here on Wednesday, with wins coming for fifth-seeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen and eighth-seeded Austrian Jurgen Melzer. Nieminen drilled Serbian wild card Marko Djokovic 6-2, 6-0, while Melzer mauled American Donald Young 6-3, 6-3. The 17-year-old Djokovic, making his ATP singles debut on Wednesday, is the younger brother of world No. 3 star Novak Djokovic.

Additional opening-round wins came for Serbian Viktor Troicki, German Mischa Zverev and Italian Simone Bolelli. The rising Troicki handled French veteran Fabrice Santoro 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

On Thursday, a top-seeded Novak Djokovic will open his stay here against German Simon Stadler. Djokovic is the reigning Aussie Open champ.

This week's champion will pocket $94,000.