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
