Ferrer’s Semifinal Win Over Tsonga Sets Up All-Spanish French Open Final
June 7, 2013 | By Kristina Hyland
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg
Fourth-seeded David Ferrer defeated sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 in the semifinal of the French Open on Friday. Ferrer has finally advanced to his first ever Grand Slam final. He played in 42 major tournaments—more than any other finalist in the Open era—before reaching a final match in a Grand Slam.
Ferrer has yet to drop a set at Roland Garros, while Tsonga failed in his attempt to become the first Frenchman to reach a home slam final since Henri Leconte in 1988, or to win the French Open title since Yannick Noah in 1983.
Ferrer’s win sets the first all-Spanish final at Roland Garros since Alberto Costa beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2002, as Ferrer will face seven-time champion Rafael Nadal. Nadal has won eight straight meetings with Ferrer (all on clay), but Ferrer pushed Nadal to three sets in the quarterfinals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome.
Kristina Hyland
Intern, Long Island Tennis Magazine
Kristina Hyland is from Lynbrook, NY. She is a senior at the University of Dayton in Ohio, majoring in public relations and minoring in political science. Kristina is interning for Long Island Tennis Magazine during the Summer of 2013. She can be reached at kristinah@litennismag.com.
