The Frenchman won against the odds in front of his home crowd.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sent Roger Federer crashing out of the French Open quarter-finals to take a step closer to ending France’s 30-year wait for a men’s champion at Roland Garros.
Sixth-seed Tsonga swept to a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 triumph to reach his first semi-final in Paris and first by a home player since Gael Monfils in 2008.
The 28-year-will tackle Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer for a place in Sunday’s final.
Victory also helped wipe out the misery of his quarter-final in Paris last year where he had four match points over Novak Djokovic and lost in five sets.
Federer was bidding to win a record 58th career match at Roland Garros and reach his 34th Grand Slam semi-final.
The 17-time Grand Slam title winner also had the advantage of a 9-3 career lead over the French star, but Tsonga had been the man to beat Federer from two sets to love down in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2011.
Tsonga had reached the quarter-finals without dropping a set, while 31-year-old Federer had struggled in his fourth round win over Gilles Simon where he had to come back from two sets to one down.
But it was 2009 champion Federer who struck first on Tuesday with a break for a 3-2 lead which the French player retrieved for 4-4.
Tsonga took the opener when Federer shanked an ugly forehand.
One break in the second set for 2-0 was enough for a two-sets lead.
Federer had come back from two sets to love down last year in his quarter-final win over Juan Martin del Potro and in 2009 in the fourth round against Tommy Haas.
But there was to be no miracle this time as a break in the seventh game of the third set put Tsonga on his way.
It was all over after a one-sided one hour and 51-minute affair with Federer undone by 34 unforced errors and a brilliant performance under pressure by his opponent.
COMMENTS