Wawrinka Wins Testy Clash With Tsonga to Reach Semis of Aus Open

Former champion Stan Wawrinka beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(2) 6-4 6-3.

Former champion Stan Wawrinka stormed into the Australian Open semifinals after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(2) 6-4 6-3 at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Wawrinka bickered heatedly with 12th seed Tsonga during a change of ends after the first set before putting his aggression to better use, wrapping up the one-sided match in two hours and 15 minutes on the Rod Laver Arena.

The Swiss will face either compatriot Roger Federer or German giant-killer Mischa Zverev for a place in the final. While the semifinal would hold no fear for Wawrinka, he said he was fully aware his compatriot would be the crowd favourite as he bids for an 18th grand slam title.

It’s going to be tough to have some fans, but hopefully a few will cheer for me.

Stan Wawrinka

Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, put in his most complete performance of the tournament against Tsonga, sending 41 sweetly struck winners whistling past the out-of-sorts Frenchman, a former finalist, but a shadow of his usual energetic self.

Tsonga put up some stout resistance early in the match, but that crumbled in the first set tiebreak when he elected not to play at a blazing backhand pass. It landed flush in the corner, giving Wawrinka four set points and Tsonga folded on the first of them.

The pair retired to their chairs between sets and suddenly began sniping at each other.

"What did you say? You're the one looking at me and talking to me. What are you looking for?" Wawrinka barked at Tsonga in French. "Come on, let it go. Did I look at you once?"

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Tsonga's best response came in the second set when he broke Wawrinka in the seventh game after the Swiss botched a simple volley and hammered another unforced error.

But after Tsonga handed serve straight back, broken to love, tension threatened to boil over again as Wawrinka came forward to smash a winner directly at the Frenchman.

Wawrinka stormed on relentlessly, breaking Tsonga twice more with a display of pure power hitting to take the second set. Tsonga went a break down quickly in the third but had one last chance to rally when Wawrinka gave up a break point at 4-2.

The Swiss slammed the door shut, however, nervelessly crushing a forehand deep into the corner and then rushing forward to put away the volley. Within minutes he had three match points, and his third semi-final at Melbourne Park sewn up when Tsonga pushed a defensive lob over the baseline.

(With inputs from Reuters)