Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and the re-creation of French Tennis history

They call him Jo-Willy, In the end, he proved to be too wily? Taking out a prodigy with conquests aplenty Jo-Wilfred Tsonga always was a maverick and an entertainer. But after his victory over Roger Federer in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, the Frenchman suddenly finds himself as the man on whom an entire nation’s hopes of redemption rest. So now there we are, almost on the cusp of glory at either ends of the 2013 French Open semi-finals. The de facto final, as one of my friends put it, at one end and this one ? an unexpected surprise ? at the other. Finally, there’s a chance for French tennis to experience history being re-created again. After three decades of painstaking wait and patience. However, in spite of harboured hopes, there is a sense of conflicting emotions and overriding feelings. For years now, the French crowd has given its overwhelming support to a Spaniard. In the lone year where the Spaniard lost mid-way, it was a Swiss who captured their hearts all the way. The ever-partisan nature of the French crowd now stands at a crossroads with either the Serb or the Spaniard drawn to make it to the finals, potentially against their hero. The ‘No-Dal’ contest has duly taken on a gladiator-like aura, with the entire tennisdom mapping and predicting the match trajectory. There can be only one victor. It’s sacrilegious to think about Rafa losing. On the other hand, it’s equally inconceivable that Nole, the World No. 1, would bow down. Who, then, do the French want to win? Their beloved Spaniard who’s more or less become the nation’s surrogate son as far as French Open is considered? But he could definitely shatter their hopes, making their wait even more arduous. Or would they root for Nole, against whom Tsonga has enjoyed successes in the past? Even Gael Monfils, who made it to the semi-finals in 2008, wasn’t as deluged by the expectations of the home-crowd as Tsonga finds himself in 2013. The Frenchman hasn’t lost a set in the French Open coming into the semis, with an impeccable showing of tennis skills. His opponent has been equally strong and lost just four games in the quarter-finals against Robredo. David Ferrer’s aptitude on clay will be reflective of his hunger and desire to make it to his first-ever Grand Slam final. And as much as the crowd will be rooting for Tsonga, Ferrer’s presence poses yet another dilemma for them.

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