Tomas Berdych delighted by French Open progress

Tomas Berdych has claimed that he needed to stay clear of any tie-breaks in order to beat John Isner in the fourth round of the French Open.

The Czech, who is seeded sixth in Paris, saw off the big-serving American 6-4 6-4 6-4 on Sunday.

Berdych will now face either Roger Federer or Ernests Gulbis for a place in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

"There were quick breaks in each of the sets," he told the ATP's official website. "That's something that really helped through all the match, especially against a guy like John.

"He likes to stay as close as possible, serving well. I think it's a good thing to avoid playing tie-breaks with him. So that was one of my plans in the beginning, and I'm really glad that it was working pretty good."

Berdych suffered a surprise opening-round defeat at the French Open last year when he was beaten by Gael Monfils.