Nadal beats big-hitting Tsonga at Sony

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla.

Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga kept a noisily involved Stadium Court crowd up past midnight in the Sony Ericsson Open with a battle filled with explosive shotmaking.

The stakes are high in the Florida sun at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Nadal came through in the end, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in 2 hours and 50 minutes, but not without failing to serve out the match in the second set — as Tsonga unleashed a barrage of massive stroke play that even the great Spaniard found impossible to handle.
Having beaten Nadal indoors in the round-robin stage of the ATP Tour World Finals in November in London, the sixth-seeded Tsonga knew he could win if he played well enough. In his opinion, however, he didn't.
"I didn't play a good match," he said, being his own toughest critic. "I didn't start well. I had played all three of my matches on outside courts, and the Stadium (Court) surface is different. It took time to get used to it."
Tsonga punished anything Nadal left short, and when the No. 2 seed put in a poor second serve on set point against at 6-5 in that second set, Tsonga latched onto it with a thunderous forehand winner to force the deciding set.
Nadal then had to save a break point in the sixth game of the third set and failed to grab a break-point opportunity himself in the next game as the big Frenchman served his way out of trouble with three first serves, including an ace.

By then, Tsonga had produced the shot of the match, if not the tournament, somehow caressing a backhand drop volley as he came charging into the net. He was off the ground as he played it, but the softness of his touch enabled him to control the ball perfectly. I can't remember having seen anyone do that except John McEnroe.
The match could have been finished on the stroke of midnight. After breaking serve for a 5-4 lead and poised to end the match on his first match point, Nadal completely mishit a forehand long. Tsonga saved a second match point with more aggressive play before he put a forehand into the net to end the match.
Luck was not in the Frenchman's corner when he reached break point as Nadal served for the match a second time. As he hit another big service return, his string broke and the ball flew out of court.
But Tsonga had another complaint after the match. With the challenge system now so crucial, players look to the umpire for some guidance as to whether a challenge would be worthwhile. Tsonga said he feels Nadal gets the benefit of their assistance more than other players.
"I challenged, and I was right many, many times," he said. "But the umpire never takes the initiative against Rafa. If Rafa doesn't like him anymore, he would not be in the chair for the final or semifinal. It's not fair. I have to focus on the ball, on my play; it gets into your mind."
On reflection, Tsonga may feel he spoke in the heat of the moment. He is not known as a player who complains, but he certainly had a go at the umpire during a changeover and felt deeply aggrieved. Superstars are always perceived to get special treatment, but I am not sure Tsonga was right in this case.


Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/rafael-nadal-beats-jo-wilfried-tsonga-sony-ericsson-open-quarterfinals-key-biscayne-032812