Even though Federer was twice pegged from the lead in his five-set match against Tsonga, he used his vigor to pull through to the semis. PHOTO: AFP
MELBOURNE:
Roger Federer passed a five-set test from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga yesterday to set up an Australian Open semi-final with Andy Murray.
The great Swiss needed all his coolness and concentration as he was twice pegged back from a set lead before taking it 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-3.
“It was a tough call for sure, but the whole match was tough,” said Federer. “Any set could have gone either way. It’s tough because you never know what Jo’s going to come up with.”
Facing Federer across the net tomorrow will be Britain’s US Open champion Andy Murray, who hit top gear in his 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 win over unseeded Jeremy Chardy and is into the last four without dropping a set.
The British third-seed was too strong and accomplished for the unseeded Frenchman, claiming victory in one hour 51 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
The victory took the Scot’s winning streak at the majors to 12 since his breakthrough US Open triumph in New York last September, and put him into his 12th Grand Slam semi-final.
“For me today was a decent test,” said Murray. “I played a lot of tennis in December last year. I had some good (lead-up) matches in Brisbane. So I can’t be disappointed about being in the semi-finals of a slam without dropping a set. That would be silly.”
Serena stunned by American teenager
Meanwhile, American teenager Sloane Stephens reached her first Grand Slam semi-final as she defeated Serena Williams, who said she was ‘almost relieved’ to go tumbling out of the Australian Open after injury turned her 50th Grand Slam appearance into the worst of her life.
Williams, who was targeting a calendar-year Grand Slam and aiming to become the oldest women’s world number one in history, was stunned 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 by the 19-year old.
“Well, I was running to the net for a drop shot,” Williams recalled of the moment she tweaked her back. “As I went to hit the ball, it was on the backhand — I even screamed on the court. I totally locked up after that. It was a little painful for me.”
In another match, defending champion Victoria Azarenka survived a torrid early battle with Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the semi-finals – to face Stephens – and keep her grip on the number one ranking.
A marathon first set took one hour 17 minutes before she completed her 7-5, 6-1 triumph.
“She played really well throughout the whole match,” said Azarenka. “At the beginning, it took adjustment because she plays such a different game. I’m glad I fought through and produced my best tennis when it was needed.”
Andy Murray
“It was a decent test. I played a lot of tennis in December. I had some good (lead-up) matches in Brisbane. So I can’t be disappointed about being in the semis of a slam without dropping a set.”
Victoria Azarenka
“She played really well throughout the whole match. At the beginning, it took adjustment because she plays such a different game. I’m glad I fought through and produced my best tennis when it was needed.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ