Jo-Wilfried Tsonga prevails over Nicolas Almagro to reach quarters – BNP Paribas Masters 2012
Sixth seed, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, grabbed a close win against Spain’s 11th seeded player, Nicolas Almagro, in the third round of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.
In a contest which saw brilliant display of serves and not a single break, the Frenchman needed two tie-breakers to topple Almagro in straight sets 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in an hour and 45 minutes.
Tsonga also confirmed his place in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with this win. He clinched one of the two vacant spots and the other one was taken by Janko Tipsarevic. This is the French star’s favourite ATP World Tour Masters
1000 event, as he is a former champion here and also a onetime runner-up.
Talking of the events of this latest match between Tsonga and Almagro, none of the two players managed to make a breakthrough in the first 12 games, taking the score to 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. They went at par till 2-2 but
then Tsonga pressed the accelerator and bagged five of the next seven points to win 7-6(4).
Proceedings in the second set were not much different from the first, as both players kept holding their serves and equalised the score at 6-6 to take it to a second straight tie-breaker. One again, Tsonga and Almagro went on equal
terms in the first four points but then the French took control and sealed it 7-6(3).
Tsonga said after the match, "What I liked about this match is that I felt I was really eager to do well and I was fighting a lot, like a tiger. I don't believe I played very well tonight. The good thing is that I'm fighting and
I'm eager to play well. Sometimes you start struggling, and then after you play better and better. I hope the next match will be even better than this one."
On qualifying for the season ending championships, the French number stated, "It's really important for me to have qualified. With the big four at the moment, it's not easy to get rewards in tennis. I have some great memories from
last year.”
Tsonga will meet with the fourth seed, David Ferrer, for a place in the semi-finals.
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