Nadal Win Sets Up Semifinal Meeting With Murray at Sony Ericsson
March 29, 2012 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg
World number two-ranked Rafael Nadal defeated France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, to earn a place in the semifinals of the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open. Nadal will now face fourth-seeded Andy Murray, who defeated Janko Tipsarevic in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Nadal made it as close as two points from victory in the second when Tsonga fought back and was able to win the second set extending the match. The final set of the match had some very high level tennis which was entertaining to fans and was a show of endurance from both players. Nadal won the match in two hours and 49 min. after Tsonga hit a forehand into the net.
“Before that, Jo had many more mistakes than usual and that made it less complicated for me. But when he started to play better I started to play defensively,” said Nadal. “It is always hard against Andy [Murray]. He is a player who pushes you all the way. I certainly need to make sure I recover well now."
Murray upped his mark against Tipsarevic to 5-3 all-time in his victory. Murray is seeking his second title of the year, having won in Brisbane. He was a runner-up to Roger Federer in Dubai and was defeated by Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller at Melbourne Park.
