David Nalbandian gives a shocker to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in round four – BNP Paribas Open 2012
Argentinean veteran, David Nalbandian, continued with his streak of upset victories against seeded players at the BNP Paribas Open. He outclassed the world number six, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, in the fourth round on Wednesday
to book a spot in the quarter-finals of the mega event. The unseeded Nalbandian took two hours and 18 taxing minutes to wrap up the proceedings at 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, stunning France’s number one tennis player in style.
It was one of the most amazing turnarounds of the tournament this season, with another unseeded player coming out victorious in the end. Nalbandian dropped the opening set early and it appeared as if the world number six will sweep
his way to victory with ease. However, the former world number three, Nalbandian, had other plans in mind. He raced from behind and overwhelmed Tsonga by reeling off the last two sets of the match with commanding ease.
Tsonga is the third of the seeded players who suffered an upset defeat at the hands of the Argentine in this tournament in Indian Wells, USA. Nalbandian first took down the 24th seed Croatia’s number one, Marin Cilic,
in the second round, followed by a cracking win over the world number 10, Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia. He carried on with his impetus in the fourth round and replicated the similar results to register his first victory over Tsonga in style.
These two men last met in 2008 Paris Masters, with Tsonga being declared as the winner. Nalbandian finally avenged his defeat from the Frenchman on Wednesday to level the head-to-head series by 1-1, moving once step closer to win
his 12th ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) championship title.
Nalbandian has no time to celebrate his emphatic victory over the sixth-ranked French, as he will have to face off against the world number two, Rafael Nadal of Spain, on Thursday. The second seeded Spaniard registered a comprehensive
straight sets victory, 6-3, 6-2, over the 21st seed Ukrainian, Alexandr Dolgopolov, in the fourth round clash on Wednesday. Nalbandian will be eyeing to curtail the 2-3 deficit in the head-to-head series against Nadal, while the Spaniard is desperate
for winning a title at Indian Wells.
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