Jo-Wilfried Tsonga topples Go Soeda in the second round – If Stockholm Open 2012
World number seven, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, moved to the last-eight stage by beating the 57th ranked player from Japan, Go Soeda, in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(6) in the second round of the If Stockholm Open in Sweden on Thursday.
The Frenchman required only one hour and 38 minutes to undo his opponent in a one sided match.
Tsonga and Soeda won their serve in the first three games and took the score to 2-1 in favour of the former. The French star hit a blow to his Japanese rival in the fourth and consolidated on it to attain a 4-1 lead. Serving to
stay in the set at 2-5, Soeda could not hold at that moment and lost the opening set 2-6.
The French player banged in three aces and 65 percent of the first serves, claiming 17 of the 22 points on them. On the other hand, Soeda did not hit even a single ace and committed one double fault. The Japanese contestant failed
to convert any of the three break points he received and could not save two of the three he faced in the opener.
Soeda gave a good response at the start of the second set, stinging a break in the very first game and holding his following serve to move ahead 2-0. Though, Tsonga hit back in the eighth and succeeded in squaring off the proceedings
at 4-4. The following four games went with serves, taking the score to 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. Soeda came close to winning the set, as he grabbed a 5-2 lead but then Tsonga captured six of the next seven points to seal it 7-6(6).
The French number one increased his aces to five this time and pocketed 17 of the 24 points on them. The 27-year-old also did quite well on the second deliveries and returns, securing 12 of the 20 and nine of the 17 points on them.
The Gingins, Switzerland resident put away two of the three break threats he came across in the second set.
Tsonga is slated to meet Ukraine’s world number 92, Sergiy Stakhovsky, in the quarters.
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