It’s baby steps for former world No.5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as he prepares for a thorough examination against an opponent he knows strangely well given they’ve never met before.

The Frenchman won back-to-back matches for the first time since February last year to reach the Brisbane International quarter-finals, where on Friday night he’ll meet Australian teenager Alex de Minaur.

The 19-year-old made a name for himself in a run to the semi-finals on Pat Rafter Arena 12 months ago and his rise has not been lost on the current world No.239, who likened him to Lleyton Hewitt as he previewed their encounter.

“Small, but athletic; he’s running fast a long time,” Tsonga said.

“He reminds me of somebody; (he’s a) very good player. I like to watch him play.”

De Minaur has eased through the first two rounds against fellow Australians Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson and will boast fresh legs against a tour veteran – a 2008 Australian Open finalist – who is still trying to rediscover his.

“It was, of course, one of my goals to be able to play two matches in a row,” Tsonga said.

“Now the new goal is going to be to win three matches in a row and be able to stay healthy.”

The victor will play the winner of the earlier quarter-final between Daniil Medvedev and big-serving Milos Raonic in an open half of the draw thanks to the early exit of Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal.

Second seed Kei Nishikori looms large in the bottom half of the draw after his incisive 7-5 7-5 defeat of Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday night.

He will play a semi-final against another Frenchman, Jeremy Chardy, who escaped in a third-set tiebreak against Japanese upstart Yasutaka Uchiyama earlier in the day.