Tsonga Tops Nadal To Join Federer In SFs

© Getty ImagesJo-Wilfried Tsonga is the first Frenchman to reach the semi-finals since Gilles Simon in 2008.

Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga became the first Frenchman in three years to qualify for the semi-finals at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, with a 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-3 victory over second seed and last year's runner-up Rafael Nadal on Thursday. Tsonga finished Group B play with a 2-1 record.

The 26-year-old Tsonga, who is appearing at the year-end championship for the first time in three years, hit 11 aces, 46 winners and almost as many unforced errors, 45. It was his third win in nine meetings against Nadal, who won three of 12 net points and committed 24 unforced errors.

"Tonight I just played well, amazing tennis," said Tsonga. "I don't know if Rafa played really well. But, anyway, he fought to come back. This is what champions do every time. I was really aggressive. I had a good percentage of winners. I put a lot of pressure on him today."

Buy Tickets | Discuss On Facebook

2011 Group Standings | Watch Live Online

Nadal saved two break points in the fourth game and was forced to battle to hold serve throughout the first set as Tsonga largely dictated the baseline rallies. Nadal raised his game at 5-6, with a hold to love, but in the tie-break, Tsonga established his dominance.

In their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, Nadal had a 3-2 record in tie-breaks. But from 2-2, Tsonga won five straight points, gaining a 4-2 lead by attacking the net off a Nadal backhand for a volley winner. He closed out the 64-minute opener with an ace out wide. Tsonga hit 23 winners and seven aces, winning 19 of 22 points off his first serve. Nadal committed seven unforced errors - five of which came on his forehand.

Tsonga came close to breaking Nadal at 4-4 in the second set. But one forehand and one backhand error, from 15/30, when in total control of the point, cost Tsonga the opportunity. One game later, Tsonga's error count increased as he gifted Nadal two set point chances at 15/40. Tsonga saved one with a gutsy forehand down the line, followed by a jump smash winner. He had no hesitation in attacking the net at 30/40 for another smash winner.

Nadal now adopted the tactic - for only the sixth time in the match - and was rewarded with another break opportunity. For a third time, Tsonga pounced to hit an unanswered smash. But his aggression proved costly. Tsonga hit two forehands wide to gift Nadal the 55-minute second set. Tsonga had hit 20 unforced errors.

Undaunted by the setback, Tsonga maintained his game plan of all-out attack. He broke Nadal, who is now 60-90 in coming back to win after losing the first set according to the FedEx ATP Reliability Index, to 15 in the third game of the deciding set. Tsonga obtained a 5-2 lead, when Nadal hit two straight forehands into the net.

Just as the 17,500-strong capacity crowd were thinking about leaving for the last trains into central London, Tsonga fell to 15/40 when serving for his ninth Top 10 win of the season. He saved both break points, but then hit a double fault on Nadal's third break point opportunity for 5-3. Minutes later though, Tsonga broke Nadal to love with a forehand return winner to join third seed and five-time titlist Roger Federer as qualifiers into the semi-finals from Group B. The match lasted two hours and 42 minutes.

DEUCE Magazine: Tsonga - The Pugilist | Nadal - The Good Fight

Tsonga improved to a 54-23 match record on the season, highlighted by two ATP World Tour indoors titles at the Moselle Open in Metz (d. Ljubicic) and the Erste Bank Open in Vienna (d. del Potro). He has now advanced to his 10th semi-final of the year.

Nadal, who dropped to 19-9 in tie-breaks and to 16-11 versus Top 10 opponents, finished Group B with a 1-2 record. He lost to Federer 6-3, 6-0 on Tuesday and beat Mardy Fish 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3) on Sunday, saving eight of 11 break points.

"I think I didn't play well tonight," lamented Nadal. "The first two sets I didn't play bad, but I didn't play well, and to win these kind of matches you have to play well. I played without anything special tonight. If the two first sets weren't good, the third was a disaster. That's the truth. He's a dangerous player. For sure it is not easy to play against him, big serve, aggressive player. To play against these kind of players, you have to do something else more, and I didn't."

The World No. 2 finishes the 2011 season with a 67-15 match record, which includes three clay-court titles at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Ferrer both times) and Roland Garros (d. Federer).