Novak Djokovic made it a matched set at the Thailand Open on Friday as he led the top four seeds into semifinal spots with a 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Robin Soderling.

The world number three easily handled Soderling, back on form after a straight-sets exit at the Beijing Olympics and US Open.

The top seed secured a break in the final game of the opening set after 38 minutes then broke early in the second on the way into the final four.

His way was temporarily blocked as he lost serve while trying to close out the victory up a set and 5-3. But Djokovic quickly put that right with a concluding break to secure the win in 90 minutes.

Half of the field in Saturday's showdowns will be French, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils clashing for the first time after both cruising to straight-set victories.

Australian Open finalist Tsonga, fresh from a light-hearted Thai boxing session, downed Austria's Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2 in their quarterfinal in 55 minutes.

Tsonga overwhelmed Melzer, firing a dozen aces and breaking the Austrian three times, as the French talent shows a solid recovery after missing three months following knee surgery.

"It was an easy match," he said. "I played some good tennis, it was much better than my previous match. It's good to reach the semifinals."

Fourth seed Monfils ended German Philipp Petzschner's run 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

But Czech third seed Tomas Berdych spoiled a possible French hat-trick with his 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 ouster of world number 74 Nicolas Mahut.

A win for second seed Tsonga could see a re-run of the Australian Open final in January, when he lost to Djokovic, who has become a crowd favourite here four years after his inaugural appearance as a teen and a first-round defeat.

"I want to thank the Thai fans for their support and for welcoming me with such hospitality," said the 21-year-old Djokovic. "Hopefully. I'll make it to the finals."

World number 30 Monfils, a popular semifinalist at the French Open in May, reached his third ATP-level semifinal of the season as he stays in the race for a spot in the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai in November.

Winning the Thailand title would catapult Monfils, whose only other title success came in Sopot three years ago, into the Top 20 ahead of Shanghai.

But Tsonga said he would not be doing Monfils any favours.

"We are friends but I will tell him to treat me like any other player — I will be doing the same," said the world number 20.

"It should be a good show, a very good match. I'm not surprised that we French players are doing well. We have a group of five guys in the Top 30," he added.

AFP