Australian Open 2008 Day Eleven Review
Tsonga crushes Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-3 6-2
2008 Australian Open News Day Eleven – The fairytale continues! Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, ranked 38th in the world, crushed the number two seed and the second best player in the world, Rafael Nadal in three dominant sets in front of 15 000 baying fans at the Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.
The young Frenchman never gave the three-time French Open winner a sniff. From the very get go Tsonga controlled the match with an awesome display of power serving, and brilliant little drops shots and volleys that had Nadal scampering around the court without success.
Not only does Tsonga look like the boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, he plays like the champ fought – 'float like a butterfly and sting like a bee'! The tall, graceful Tsonga moved around the court effortlessly, hardly breaking into a sweat, whereas his partner on the other end was perspiring profusely and looked as though he had come into the game with little of his usual self confidence.
Tsonga fired down 17 aces, the fastest of which was 221km/h, and he clinched an incredible 49 winners compared to Nadal's 13. Tsonga will face either Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic in the final.
Other Results from Day Eleven
- Maria Sharapova (RUS) (5) downed Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (3) 6-3 6-1
- Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (4) defeated Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) (9) 0-6 6-3 6-4
- Arnaud Clement & Michael Llodra (FRA) (7) beat Jeff Coetzee & Wesley Moodie (RSA) 6-3 7-6(11-9)
- Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram (ISR) (8) defeated Mahesh Bhupathi (FRA) & Mark Knowles (BAH) 6-4 6-4
- Alona & Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) crushed Anabel Medina Garriques & Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) (10) 6-2 6-4
