Tsonga into semi-finals as Nadal sent crashing

Rafael Nadal was knocked out of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the group stage tonight as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga powered his way to a 7-6 (7/2) 4-6 6-3 victory over the world number two at London’s O2 Arena.

Nadal’s thrashing at the hands of Roger Federer on Tuesday had put him into a straight shoot-out with Tsonga for the second semi-final place and, although he levelled the match in the second set, there was no denying the Frenchman in the decider.

Nadal had taken a month off prior to the tournament with next weekend’s Davis Cup final against Argentina in mind, and he certainly lacked his usual sharpness.

Tsonga played a superb match, though, to reach the semi-finals for the first time, and he said: “I just played amazing. It was not easy for me to come here against Rafa but I did it tonight and I’m very happy.”

As well as a place in the semi-finals to play for, there was also something to prove for Nadal after his 6-3 6-0 thumping by Federer two nights ago.

While the scoreline was largely down to Federer being in a zone even Nadal cannot reach, the Spaniard’s cause was not helped by a lack of penetration on his serve and groundstrokes that has betrayed a lack of confidence at times this season.

Tsonga, with his explosive shots and aggressive intent, would provide a real test on the relatively fast surface, some pundits even making him the favourite.

And the Frenchman was certainly quick out of the blocks, testing Nadal’s famous defences from the off.

It did not take long for them to wobble, Tsonga forcing two break points in the fourth game, but he could not take either.

Tsonga beat Nadal most recently at Queen’s this summer, one of only two wins he had managed in eight meetings prior to today, and it was all the world number two could do to keep pace in the early stages here.

His opponent could not force the break, though, and into a tie-break they went.

This time Nadal was helpless as Tsonga used a winning combination of power from the baseline and finesse at the net to reel off five points in a row, clinching it with an ace.

It was a hugely impressive set from the world number six, and perhaps it was not surprising to see the quality dip slightly in the second set, from both players.

There had not been a sniff of a break point until Tsonga served to stay in the set, when the Frenchman chose the worst time to throw in a series of loose shots.

His serve dug him out of trouble three times but not a fourth as Nadal levelled things up.

The Spaniard has made a career of fighting through matches he might well have lost, but it was not to be that way tonight.

In the third game of the decider Nadal was made to regret an untimely double-fault as Tsonga forced three break points, taking the second when his opponent failed to pick up a volley.

It was the French Open champion’s forehand, so often a match-winner, that had been his biggest weakness tonight, and it proved so again in the seventh game as he netted a regulation one on break point to leave the Frenchman serving for the match.

There was a brief twist still to come as three double-faults betrayed Tsonga’s nerves and allowed Nadal to retrieve one break, but another poor service game from the Spaniard handed it straight back, the sixth seed sealing victory with a searing forehand winner after two hours and 42 minutes.