French Open 2013: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s rendezvous with destiny

Tsonga has also beaten Djokovic in five matches, Federer in four, Rafael Nadal in three and Andy Murray once to underline the constant threat posed by his energetic brand of tennis. But never in his career has he dealt with as daunting a prospect as he is faced with this weekend. Playing in front of his home fans, Tsonga has the unenviable task of carrying the weight of expectations and the burden of history on his broad shoulders.

It remains to be seen how that affects the Frenchman’s freedom and power, when he takes on David Ferrer for a place in the French Open finals. Incidentally, neither Ferrer nor Tsonga has lost a set in reaching the last four. Besides, Ferrer was just as impressive in his quarter-final outing, losing just four games against Tommy Robredo. The Spaniard has his own bundle to carry, having to deal with the fact that he has never reached the finals of a major despite sustained success for an extended period of time elsewhere.

Put all these pieces together and the chips are stacking neatly into a beautiful maze of possibilities. It might just be a blessing in disguise for Tsonga and Ferrer that all the focus this Friday is on the semifinal between Djokovic and Nadal. Understandably, there is bound to be a lot of tension for these men even before they enter the arena to battle for that spot in the final. France is eagerly waiting to see their son get past the formidable challenge posed by the ever present Ferrer. If indeed Tsonga manages to conquer Ferrer, the country shall erupt in the expectant joy of a glorious Sunday.

Everyone is eager to join the party and the country’s sports minister echoed the sentiments of the people. Valérie Fourneyron described Tsonga as a player with “a maturity in technique, an appetite for victory and a determination to write a new page in the book of French tennis history,“ before adding, “and for that, he deserves our respect.” Federer too was at his gracious best, despite the stinging loss to Tsonga. “Jo must keep his aggressive style,” he advised. “He must keep believing that he can do it and let the audience bring him up and hope that everything falls into place.”

Despite being on the tour for almost a decade, Tsonga and Ferrer have played each other only three times. The only time Tsonga defeated Ferrer was in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2011. He lost twice to the Spaniard – in their first match on the red clay of Rome in 2010 and their recent encounter at the Paris Masters in 2012 on a hard court. They have been dealt blow after blow by the big four in many of these events, but here they are facing each other in what may yet turn out to be the most important match of their lives.

The enigmatic Frenchman can almost begin to hear the music now, but he must strain to shut out the noises. The vibrant colours of the passing parade might be filling his eyes, but he needs to filter them lest they blur his vision. The smell of lustrous metal may be filling his nostrils, but he has to train his senses to feel the dirt first. History beckons the carefree Frenchman. Can Tsonga keep his feet in tune with the orchestra for what could possibly be the finest weekend of his sporting career?