Nadal Thrashed In The Semi-final..

I couldn't believe what I was watching on television. Rafael Nadal, the Spanish Bull, the world no.2, was being demolished by an unknown, unseeded Frenchman. Someone who went by the name of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Someone whom the world didn't know before. But someone who decided to announce his arrival with a deadly bang on one of the biggest stages in the tennis world, the innaugural tournament of the year - Australian Open 2008.

Tsonga thrashed the second-seeded Nadal in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, to set up a dream final with Novak Djokovic/Roger Federer (that match will be played tomorrow!) It doesn't matter who he plays. He has already taken out some of the best players in the tournament. The much-touted Andy Murray, compatriot Richard Gasquet, world no. 14 Mikhail Youzhny, and now Rafael Nadal, all have been shown the door by the highly-talented Tsonga (who has been called Mohammad Ali, because of his uncanny resemblance to the boxing champion). Tsonga beat Nadal at his own game today, showering him with volleys and drop shots, and keeping him on his toes all the time. Nadal was made to cover every inch and centimetre of the court - from the baseline to the net. Normally, the Spaniard has no problems in running the entire length of the court, but Tsonga really made him work extremely hard for every single point today. His forehands were magnificent, his slices were crisp and a pleasure to watch, and his drop shots - simply perfect and eye-catching! Nadal sweated and strained. He did everything he could possibly,but the Frenchman dominated the entire match and dictated every minute of play. Nadal seemed like a shadow of his former self, from the first game itself, when Tsonga broke his game to lead. Tsonga captured almost all the break points, whereas Nadal couldn't manage any of them.

And when the match finally ended, Tsonga couldn't even react. No leap of joy, no scream of happiness, no shriek of delight. It appeared as if the man had completely frozen, he was absolutely stunned. Tsonga did not know how to react and just stood still, mouth agape, as if in a trance, for a good 2-3 minutes. It was only after both the players shook hands with each other, and with the chair umpire, and the crowd broke into a thunderous applause, that Tsonga seemed to wake up from his reverie. He let the feeling sink in, of having beaten the second best player in the world, of having made it to his first Grand Slam final having played only five Grand Slam tournaments. He jumped up and down joyfully, waving to the crowd, pointing to himself and applauding his fans and family. This was Tsonga's day, throughout, with a phenomenal ending.... in which he did that no one has ever done before...annihilated Nadal... a player who is known to be one of the most-feared players on the tennis circuit. But the young 22-year-old player showed that nothing is impossible, provided you put your heart and soul into it, and give it your best shot. Tsonga did.... and now the final of the Australian Open awaits him on Sunday.