Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beats Rafael Nadal to reach Shanghai Masters final
Saturday 17 October 2015 15:22, UK
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga upset Rafael Nadal to reach the Shanghai Rolex Masters final by edging a back-and-forth contest.
The world No 15 will now play Novak Djokovic in the final after overcoming a second set wobble to persevere.
The Frenchman eventually won 6-4 0-6 7-5 after forcing a crucial break in the penultimate game of the pulsating contest which seemed to be going Nadal's way after he dominated the second set.
Tsonga hit a plethora of winners in the early exchanges, and while Nadal held his own, it was the Frenchman who was arrowing the ball around the court with the greater conviction.
The Spaniard tried to roll back the years to his Grand Slam-winning past with a jumping, athletic smash but when it flew wide he didn't lose confidence and completed an identical shot shortly after.
But Tsonga went 3-2 ahead with the first break, which would ultimately be enough to take the opening set, as he fizzed the ball down the line and continued to hold his serve for the rest of the set.
Nadal, undiminished, repeated his eye-catching smash shot as the second set began and broke at the first time of asking as the pendulum swung. Tsonga suddenly bore the look of a frustrated player as his radar became flawed and he swiftly dropped the first three games of the second set as unforced errors blighted his game.
Nadal completed a 'bagel' set as Tsonga seemed unable to regain his momentum, hitting 21 unforced errors to his opponent's one.
Yet the former Australian Open finalist was somehow able to re-establish a mighty serve in the decider, as the set flowed back-and-forth.
With something having to give, Tsonga went 6-5 up against the serve as Nadal ended a rally by finding the net.
Tonga brought up match point by winning a stunning rally before confirming a spot in his fourth Masters final.
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