Live Commentary: French Open: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Roger Federer - as it happened

Hello everyone and thanks for joining me for this second quarter-final on Philippe Chatrier today. It's the sort of match you watch tennis for - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Roger Federer.

Federer found himself in a real battle last time, coming through in five sets against Gilles Simon. Today, he faces another Frenchman and an even better one - sixth seed Tsonga.

Federer also played Julien Benneteau in the previous round - that time he did it in straight sets, but most would be surprised if this only lasted for three.

It is Federer's 36th consecutive quarter-final, and it comes off the back of his 900th career win. Just phenomenal stats, but he's still hungry for more Slams at the age of 31.

In previous meetings between the two, Federer has won nine of 12, and he will certainly be favourite here. However, I always say that Tsonga at his best can beat anyone - he's just sadly not at his best for full matches.

It will be Tsonga to serve first as he attempts to reach the semis here in Paris for the first time.

Federer goes long with his first two returns, which gives the Frenchman a nice route into the match. Those are followed by a booming ace into the corner, before Federer goes long for a third time. Tsonga would have dreamt of that start last night.

Federer attempts an early serve and volley, but Tsonga sees it and guides his return at the feet of the Swiss, whose subsequent volley goes wide. Tsonga moves 30-40 ahead to get an early break point, but some accurate hitting from Federer forces the error from the Frenchman. Tsonga tries some net play this time and he too gets the ball fired back at him and there's nothing he can do with the return. The Swiss survives the scare and holds.

This is a really good start with the ball from Tsonga. Federer just has no answer to the Frenchman's power and Tsonga follows up his first love service game with another. He's comfortably on top so far but, as we all know, he will dip.

Here comes the Federer forehand. Tsonga gets some early success in the game, but Federer works himself into it with some intricate swings of that right arm and holds a lot more comfortably than he did the first.

BREAK! Just brilliant from Federer. A forehand down the left side has Tsonga scrambling, and then he finishes the point down the other line with a clean winner. However, Tsonga responds with raw power - Federer was not badly placed to reach that forehand but there was no getting to it. Then we have an excellent point full of finesse from Federer - he comes to the net and hits a couple of delicate volleys before finally Tsonga cannot return one. Now two break points go the way of the Swiss and he is not about to spurn one, with a whipped forehand winner across court. That's Federer at his best in that game.

A quick note that the winner of this clash will face either Tommy Robredo or David Ferrer, who are just getting underway on Suzanne Lenglen. You can follow that with Sian Cowper right here.

As I thought, Tsonga has very quickly gone off the boil. Federer claims his most comfortable service game so far as Tsonga goes long on a couple of occasions. That's three running for Federer - all fairly comfortable, too.

Tsonga's serve is suddenly back on form. A couple of big ones set up some early points and he follows up with an ace. His third love service game is complete following an exhibition point with both men exchanging shots at the net with Federer scooping one from the baseline short of the net.

BREAK! Tsonga shows a touch of delicacy with a drop shot after some baseline shots and Federer goes long with the reply. At 15-40 he fires a cross-court forehand winner, too. A rare mistake from Federer sees him hit the net with a forehand from the baseline and then he goes wide to gift Tsonga his second break point. This time he takes it! Really poor from Federer there when he was up 40-15 and he has been punished.

There's a huge slice of luck from Federer, who hits the top of the net and it bounces on the line away from Tsonga. A big serve allows Tsonga to forget the previous point and he moves 40-15 up with a fine backhand down the line that's returned into the net. The Frenchman moves ahead in the set with a big shot at Federer's feet as the Swiss came to the net.

Good response from Federer who makes short work of his next service game. We're neck-and-neck heading into the latter stages of this set. Will Tsonga's serve give?

No. It won't. It's power and finesse rolled into one game for Tsonga, who takes his fourth love service game with a big backhand followed by a volley into the space he had opened up. Federer must hold now to take us into a tie-break.

Danger here for Federer. A super backhand down the line has moved the Frenchman 0-30 up.

Now the Swiss nets and Tsonga has three set points...

Federer saves one with an angled first serve that is returned wide and then somehow makes a pass with the backhand after Tsonga had set the point up perfectly! Unbelievable stuff from Federer. Then the third is saved when Tsonga nets from some big Federer forehands.

SET TSONGA! Federer is wide with a forehand and Tsonga has another look-in and this time the ball flies off the edge of the Swiss's racquet! First blood Tsonga!

It's a promising start to the second from Tsonga, who again takes the game with a mishit Federer forehand. That's his 14th unforced error so far - not good enough, really.

Now Tsonga has three break points! Federer goes wide with a backhand to set them up...

BREAK! There's no denying that Federer is not the player he used to be, but even so some of his shots are very poor. Tsonga has won nine of the last 10 points as well as the last four games and this is in danger of becoming one-sided!

Four quickly become five and Federer is looking dejected out there. He has no answer to Tsonga at the moment, who races 3-0 ahead in the second set. Federer simply must hold here or this set could be over.

UPDATE: In the other quarter-final being played on Suzanne Lenglen Federer has taken the first set 6-2. Remember the winner there plays the winner of this one, which is looking like Tsonga.

Federer, at 30-15 up, doesn't move for a delicious angled drop shot from Tsonga - the shot that he is so adept at himself. Tsonga goes long, which gives Federer a much-needed game. Can he get the break back? Now would be a good time.

Tsonga follows a big serve with a big smash as he continues to batter his much smaller opponent. All Federer can do is return in court and hope, and he stays in a rally really well as Tsonga puts a backhand wide, but ultimately the Frenchman is just too powerful. That's six from seven for Tsonga.

That is more like it from Federer, who wins a nice net point by clipping the line. Tsonga responds by battering a clean return winner back across court! Tsonga brings it to deuce form 15-40 but Federer gets his forehand back in action to hold really importantly.

Just as it looks to be turning around Federer puts an unforced backhand right into the net. He doesn't have his usual spring about him but somehow returns a huge ace, which takes Tsonga by surprise and his shot goes wide. Then he follows it with a big inside-out return to bring up deuce, but more big hitting moves Tsonga within a game of a two-set lead.

Tsonga gives it quite a lot, but Federer is finding his touch and claims another important hold. Tsonga now will serve for a 2-0 lead that would make it exceptionally tough on Federer.

Two set points for Tsonga...

SET TSONGA! Well, well, well. What is Federer made of? He'll need to be back to his vintage era if he's to overturn this. It could be a very early exit for the second seed.

Federer was 30-15 up and playing well, but now Tsonga has a break point...

BREAK! Oh my, oh my. A double fault from Federer! What an awful time for that to happen and Tsonga has a two-set plus a break lead. This could be over very shortly.

But wait! Federer is 40-15 up with two break points of his own...

Oh dear Roger. A nice rally between the two ends with Federer playing a backhand quite late and into the net.

BREAK! Was I writing him off?! He sees his chance with the second serve and there's that inside-out return forehand to smash the ball back past Tsonga for the break back.

There's no such thing as a comfortable service game for either of these men at the moment. Tsonga goes up 15-30 but is then forced into an error by the Swiss. Tsonga goes long again and Federer is ahead in a set for the first time since the first. He has shown fantastic character here.

Tsonga starts this big service game well and forces Federer into hitting the net. He then shows fantastic athleticism to almost dive on to a Federer volley and clips the line with his lob. He finishes the game with an ace - that's his response to going down in the set.

Federer starts the next game with his third double fault, but then serves and volleys at 0-15 to guide that shot brilliantly on to the line. Again he comes to the net but this time Tsonga cannot get it over and Tsonga responds with a controlled return from a half drop shot from Federer. The Frenchman then gets a break point from some more sloppy play by the Swiss, with Federer shouting "come on!" after levelling for deuce. Even his smash isn't right today as Federer puts one into the bottom of the net. However, he clings on - saving the two break points to hold. Just.

Federer is showing some frustration here, arguing with the umpire on a call that he thought was out - it wasn't and Hawk Eye backs up the man in charge. Tsonga is taking advantage and bullying the Swiss with a display of huge forehands. He then shows a lighter touch with a couple of drop shots at the net - the second too much for Federer to return.

Another atrocious smash from Federer - that one was easy. Moving towards the ball, not too high, central, but he puts it into the net! Tsonga with more power hitting and he has two break points...

BREAK! He's done it! Federer shows a lovely touch at the net to guide a volley just over, but Tsonga reaches it and smashes the ball at the Swiss for the point and the break!

It's not Federer's surface, sure, but he's been completely outplayed in every area from Tsonga. At 30-15 Tsonga nets a simple drop shot though to give Federer a route back into the game, but a big serve moves him 40-30 up. Then he advances to the net to play the perfect point to move one game away.

Tsonga has two match points... Federer saves the first with a brave smash.

Wow. That is an unbelievable performance from Tsonga. He was on top in absolutely every single area today and is thoroughly deserving of that win. Federer will be back at Wimbledon and I'm sure he'll make the semis, but he has been utterly destroyed today.

Tsonga's reward for knocking out possibly the greatest player of all time? (Ok, maybe not on this surface..) A date with David Ferrer, perhaps the second best clay player out there. Thanks for joining me for this one, be sure to stick around for reports and reaction and come back tomorrow for the second set of quarters. Goodbye!