French Open: Ferrer proves too strong for listless Tsonga
One man’s dream is another’s nightmare. So it turned out to be in the second semi-final of the French Open in Paris. After all the expectations surrounding a rousing performance from the French hope, it was the ever reliable Spaniard who delivered the goods to reach the maiden Grand Slam final of his under nourished career. David Ferrer was sixth time lucky as he coasted home to a 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 victory over a strangely deflated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in just over two hours. Ferrer will take on Rafael Nadal this Sunday, in what shall be the first Spanish final since Albert Costa defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2002.
Ferrer had a poor start – a double fault in the first game saw him fall to 0-30 and though an ace restored parity, the game slipped to deuce. A couple of service winners helped Ferrer take the first game without any further drama. The usually sedate Ferrer was presenting himself in an hitherto unfamiliar form, mixing his consistent ways with a streak of aggression.
A forehand return winner forced the second game to deuce and Tsonga made a couple of unforced errors to succumb to an early break. Ferrer went on to win five straight games even as Tsonga struggled to find the range on his normally brutal forehand. Tsonga did tick off the sixth game, but then Ferrer took the lead with a fluent hold in the next game.
The second set began to look like a mirror image of the first, with Tsonga on the boil again. The Frenchman took a 3-0 lead, after breaking Ferrer at love in the second game. But Ferrer reversed the tide by taking the next four games including two breaks of serve. Luckily, for the concerned, yet, silent spectators inside Philippe Chatrier, Tsonga stemmed the bleeding in the eighth game.
A blistering forehand down the line winner gave three break points to the Frenchman. An error from Ferrer off his forehand tied the set at 4-4. Tsonga found a sharp angle with his forehand cross court winner to smell an opportunity in the tenth game, but Ferrer managed to hold his own to draw level at 5-5. An overcooked forehand left Tsonga staring at break point in the next game, but an ace rescued the Frenchman.
Ferrer drew advantage with a delicate drop shop, but another monster serve from the burly Tsonga helped him save a second break point. It was a pivotal game in the context of the match and both men hustled through the court as they fought through to a fourth deuce, before Tsonga held serve to go up 6-5 with a typically exuberant forehand winner followed by an error from Ferrer.