Jo-Wilfried Tsonga displayed the va-va-voom that took him to the Australian Open final last year as he ousted American James Blake 6-4 6-4 7-6(3) in a magical encounter at Rod Laver Arena on Monday night.
Similar in size, strength and sheer talent, the match up between the fifth and ninth seeds always promised to explosive, and the combatants did not disappoint in a match that produced spectacular tennis from the word go.
On paper, this was always going to be a tight contest between two tough contenders. Just three points separate them in the world rankings, with Tsonga at seven and Blake at 10. On their one and only previous meeting – in Paris last year –Tsonga defeated Blake in straight sets.
However, there is no denying that the American has been in dynamite form throughout the tournament. Tsonga progressed through to the fourth round with a niggling back problem, so it was somewhat of a surprise when the American was broken in his first service game.
However, a master class in technique, variety of shot, skill and athleticism was about to unfold as the players did battle. Usually, winners speak for themselves, but tonight it was never safe to assume such a shot had been struck as both players reached breathtaking balls time and time again.
At one point Tsonga - a player renowned for his colourful on-court antics - threw his hands up in the air as Blake retrieved ball after ball to win a point that the Frenchman thought he had won twice over.
Another saw the 23-year-old prepare to serve but accidentally drop the ball. After it began rolling away, an animated Tsonga chased it, but the ball eluded him and again he threw his hands up - as if the effort was too much - and a ballboy retrieved it instead.
Antics aside, it was the 23-year-old who claimed the first set. Blake was again broken in the opening game of the second, and Tsonga clinched set two by the same 6-4 scoreline.
The explosive match was interrupted by fireworks of a different kind when Australia Day celebrations began early in the third, and the sky was filled with colour. The display interrupted play for around 10 minutes, but both men resumed the match without a warm-up.
The break appeared to help Blake, who regrouped and raced to a 5-2 lead. Tsonga, meanwhile, admitted the fireworks affected his concentration. "A little bit, because after that I was a little bit stressed, you know. Yeah, it was difficult to serve just after the fireworks, and that's it."
The American soon threw away a set point, and Tsonga clawed his way back to force a tiebreak. A sloppy performance by the 29-year-old ensued when he began blasting balls out. Tsonga capitalised on his chances, and celebrated his victory with a little scream of joy and his familiar jig.
The Frenchman now faces Fernando Verdasco in the quarterfinals after the Spaniard shocked fourth seed Andy Murray in five sets earlier on Monday.
And he is not taking the duel lightly. "It's going to be a tough match, I think," he said. "Fernando played very well at the beginning of the season. I think I will be healthy. So I will do my best and we'll see after the results. But I know Fernando is a really good player. He won Davis Cup last year. And I think since that he's very confident in his game, it's gonna be hard."
Quick facts
Tsonga served 12 aces, while Blake had four
Tsonga had 46 winners to Blake’s 32, while the Frenchman had 31 unforced errors to the American’s 27
Tsonga served at 64 per cent, and won 84 per cent of points when he landed his first serve
The first two sets lasted a combined 76 minutes; the final set lasted 68 minutes
No comments posted
