Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ousts Marcos Baghdatis to move to quarter-finals – Shanghai Rolex Masters 2012
Fifth seed, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, put away late fight back from Marcos Baghdatis to beat the Cypriot in the third round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
The Frenchman easily won the first set 6-2 but was a break down in the second one, before hitting back to seal it 7-6(2) in one hour and 21 minutes.
Baghdatis was first to move ahead even in the opening set, breaking Tsonga in the very first game to take a 1-0 lead. Though, Tsonga hit back immediately to even out the proceedings at 1-1. The Frenchman clinched three more games
in a row to take a 4-1 advantage, before Baghdatis finally succeeded in holding his serve to reduce the trail to 2-4. However, the Cypriot lost it again in the eighth and went down 2-6.
Second set was a treat to watch, as both players gave each other tough time for their money. They exchanged two breaks of serve in the first eight games, squaring off the score at 4-4. The rest of it did not see any of the two
players making a breakthrough, forcing a tie-breaker. Tsonga raced to a 4-0 lead and made the most of it to triumph 7-6(2).
The Frenchman bombarded 11 aces and committed three double faults, compared to two and six respectively from his rival. The world number six converted five of the six break points he received in the contest.
Talking to the reporters after the match, Tsonga said, "I feel like I [am] playing [a] really good level. I played great. I think I [have] improved my game a bit these last couple of months. I [have] worked a lot. It's only now
[that] I [have] started to play well, so I hope I will continue to play like this. After, of course, for me London is a goal."
The Frenchman is very close to qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals to be held in London at the end of the season. However, he wants to concentrate on the current event at this moment and not think of coming tournaments.
He stated, “For the moment I think about this tournament. You know, I try to play my best tennis. After, of course for me London is a goal. But I also have another goal, to win some tournaments and try to beat the guy before me.”
Tsonga is pitted against the fourth seed, Tomas Berdych, for a place in the last four.
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