By Chris Oddo | Friday, August 8, 2014
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ended a personal eight-match losing streak against Andy Murray by rallying from a break down in the third set to triumph in Toronto.
Photo Source: Ronald Martinez/ Getty
Andy Murray dropped a hard-fought three-set battle with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4, losing for the first time in nine matches and over six years against the suddenly rejuvenated Frenchman.
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“The last couple of months, I didn’t play that well,” said Tsonga, “so I had time to practice. I think it was good for me. I didn’t play so many tournaments, just practiced to be stronger in my legs. Today I am happy because I was rewarded for that.” Tsonga fell behind 3-0 in the decider but a few loose points helped the world No. 13 get his confidence back.
“He gave me two or three points and it put me back in the game. Sometimes it’s not about you—it’s about the other player. I had the opportunity to get back into the match and I took it.” Tsonga would break for 3-2, and two games later he secured the decisive break with a put-away forehand volley on his third break point of the game to take a 4-3 lead.
He didn’t budge on serve, and even hammered a career-best 237 KM serve (147.3 MPH) in the final game.
Tsonga had started the season at 0-7 vs. the ATP’s top ten, but after his upset victories over Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray on back-to-back days, he improves to 2-7.
Tsonga will face either Grigor Dimitrov or Kevin Anderson in Saturday’s semifinals in Toronto.
Notes, Numbers
Tsonga ended a nine-match losing streak to Djokovic on Thursday, before ending his 8-match losing streak to Murray on Friday.
Murray still has yet to reach an ATP final since his 2013 Wimbledon title.