Andy Murray ousts Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach semi-finals – ATP World Tour Finals 2012
British number one, Andy Murray, booked his place in the semi-finals of the season ending championships for the third straight year, after toppling the seventh seeded player from France, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, in his third and final
round robin match at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Murray raced to victory in the first set and was also cruising in the second one before Tsonga made a comeback to trouble his rival but the home favourite stood strong to win it 6-2, 7-6(3) in one hour and 36 minutes.
The British star ended his Group stage matches with a 2-1 win/loss record, as he defeated Berdych and Tsonga, losing only to the world number one, Novak Djokovic, in a close match. He has now joined Roger Federer and Djokovic at
the last-four stage, bidding to win the season finale for the first time in his career.
Coming back to his match against Tsonga, Murray made a flying start, as he nailed breaks in the first and third game to build a 4-0 lead. The local favourite capitalised on his early advantage to seal it 6-2.
Murray made a similar start in the second set, making a breakthrough in the very first game and holding his following serve to take a 2-0 lead. However, Tsonga bounced back this time, striking in the eighth to square it off at
4-4. There was no break in the rest of the set, levelling the proceedings at 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. Both players were steady in the beginning but then Murray clinched five of the last six points to grab it 7-6(3).
Commenting on Tsonga’s comeback in the second set, Murray said, "In some ways, feels like you're serving for the match when you know you're through if you win that. I was very focused from the start of the match. I got off to a
good start."
Tsonga stated, "I'm somebody who never give up. So sometimes you are not playing a good tennis, and you keep fighting, you keep believing in you, and then it comes better and better. I will keep some positive things. I played some
really good players. I was not that far. So I'm sure if I work a lot, if I improve, I will have a chance to beat them for the next season."
Murray will wait till the final two matches of Group B take place on Saturday to get to know his rival at the last-four stage.
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