Tsonga through to the final four in Marseille

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced to the semi-finals of the ATP event in Marseille on Friday by defeating fellow Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4 7-5 in the last eight.

Tsonga took advantage of his bruising serve, winning 70 per cent of points behind his service and sending down 14 aces, while limiting his opponent to a solitary break.

Tsonga, the tournament's top seed, will face the winner of the match between Richard Gasquet and Juan Martin Del Potro on Saturday for a place in the final.

The 26-year-old, who won the Qatar Open at the start of January, owns a 11-1 record this season, with the only blemish a fourth-round loss to Japan's Kei Nishikori at the Australian Open.