Built like a prizefighter, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga pummeled world No
2 Rafael Nadal into submission to reach the Australian Open final
on a spectacular yesterday night at Melbourne Park.
Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic had wowed the day session,
beating Jelena Jankovic and Daniela Hantuchova, respectively to set
up a mouth-watering women's final, but the night belonged to
unseeded Frenchman Tsonga.
In only his fifth Grand Slam tournament, the 38th-ranked Tsonga
tore up the form book and sent Nadal shuddering to the exit 6-2,
6-3, 6-2.
"Just amazing... unbelievable... nothing could stop me today,"
the 22-year-old grinned. "I tried to hit everything and everything
went in, so... what can I say?"
Frequently likened to a youthful Muhammad Ali for his poise and
powerful build, Tsonga will need to stay grounded for three more
days. He will meet either Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic in
Sunday's final.
Tsonga, playing only his fifth Grand Slam tournament, has been
plagued by a succession of back and shoulder injuries during his
career and has never won a tour title. He knocked out seeds Andy
Murray, Richard Gasquet and Mikhail Youzhny on the way to the last
four but he raised his game another notch to overwhelm in-form
Nadal.
Nadal had thought he was playing well enough to win the
tournament.
That was before he ran into man-mountain Tsonga.
"I was playing very fine, very good, but not for beating Tsonga
tonight," Nadal said, shaking his head.
"Running unbelievable, physically very explosive, everything.
What I can say? Nothing bad about his game tonight. I have to find
something. I'm gonna think all night."
Serb Ivanovic staged a sensational fightback to reach the final
where she will gun for a first Grand Slam title.
The fourth seed recovered from a first-set whitewash to oust
Hantuchova 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Ivanovic won just nine points in the first set and trailed 6-0,
2-0 before pulling things around.
"It definitely was a disappointing start for me," the relieved
20-year-old smiled.
"I just had a feeling she was playing really good and I was
always on the back foot and always defending. I just couldn't find
my rhythm. I tried to hang in there to stay with her."
Hantuchova left court having barely congratulated her conqueror
and later accused the Serb of gamesmanship for squeaking her shoes
on the court when receiving serve.
Ivanovic swept aside the accusation.
"There was nothing I could do, because if I want to move my feet
to return a ball, you know, this was the sound I was producing,"
she told reporters.
Sharapova reached Saturday's showpiece in vastly contrasting
style, hammering Serb Jankovic 6-3, 6-1.
The Russian followed on from her quarterfinal thrashing of world
No 1 Justine Henin with a devastating display against the third
seed.
Blasting serves
Pounding groundstrokes into the corners and blasting serves
down, she never allowed the Serb to settle on Rod Laver Arena.
Jankovic, struggling with a lower back injury, was unable to
keep up or even compete as she was left watching shots fly past
her.
"I wanted to withdraw, but it was not fair for the crowd. It's a
semifinal, so I played how much I could to finish the match,"
Jankovic said.
"I thought that Maria played very, very well, and anyway, she
deserved to win. But I couldn't really give a match."
For Sharapova, there is unfinished business in Melbourne after
last year's final defeat.
"From the beginning of the tournament, you want to go a step
further than you've done in the past. That's always your goal, and
your mantra going into a tournament," the Russian said.
(Agencies via China Daily January 25, 2008)