By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 17, 2015
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcame a seven-game slide to rally past Rafael Nadal, 6-4, 0-6, 7-5, and reach his second final of the season in Shanghai.
Photo credit: Shanghai Rolex Masters
A focused Rafael Nadal rolled through seven straight games leaving Jo-Wilfried Tsonga looking a little dazed and confused by the onslaught during the Shanghai Rolex Masters semifinal.
A flying Tsonga went airborne for a sensational diving forehand volley to earn match point and ignite a 6-4, 0-6, 7-5 victory over Nadal that vaulted the 16th-seeded Frenchman into his second final of the season.
Video: Shanghai Surprise Tsonga's Magical Diving Volley
It was Tsonga's fourth three-set victory of the tournament and it came with a dramatic finish after Nadal had completely dominated the second set dispensing the first bagel of the season to the Roland Garros semifinalist.
Tsonga will play world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in tomorrow's final.
The top-seeded Djokovic destroyed second-ranked Andy Murray, 6-1, 6-3, in 67 minutes to roll into his 13th consecutive final.
Djokovic extended his winning streak to 16 matches, raising his China run to 37-1. Djokovic holds a 13-6 lead over Tsonga, though Tsonga won their last meeting at the 2014 Rogers Cup.
Whipping his forehand into the corners, Tsonga surprised Nadal blasting a backhand pass down the line to break for a 3-2 lead in the opening set. Tsonga made the break stand behind authoritative serving. He won 15 of 17 points played on his serve in the first set.
Playing some of his most proactive tennis of this Asian swing, Nadal took the net away and proceeded to take over the second set.
Playing closer to the baseline, the seventh-ranked Nadal reeled off seven consecutive games and had the momentum, and a 1-0 lead, in the decider.
Tsonga responded earning triple break point in the third game. Straddling the baseline, Nadal faced the challenge moving forward. A smash saved the first break point, Tsonga netted a backhand on the second and Nadal used the slider serve wide to set up a jolting inside-out forehand to erase the third. Navigating that test, Nadal held for 2-1.
The 30-year-old Frenchman, who served 75 percent in the final set, dug out of a 0-30 hole to level at 4-all. When Nadal thumped a smash he had won nine of 11 net points building a 5-4 lead.
Tsonga smacked a forehand winner down the line for break point in the 11th game. Attacking net, Nadal was in prime position for a winning volley, but nudged his backhand into the top of the net. Tsonga broke for the first time since the first set and stepped up to serve for the final.
Down 15-30, Tsonga caught a break when Nadal netted a forehand. The next point was the highlight shot of the match. Tsonga launched himself airborne for a tremendous diving volley, Nadal hustled back to the baseline to retrieve it while Tsonga scrambled to his feet and angled off a forehand volley for match point. Hurling his hands up in the air a fired-up Tsonga incited the crowd which roared in approval of the sequence.
Nadal netted the final shot ending a dramatic two hour, 15-minute match.