Roger Federer escapes Nadal's fate, reaches the semis at Monte Carlo

Roger Federer after his win over Jo-Wilfried Tsgona in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals

There was still a chill in the air as Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga walked out for their fourth career meeting on clay. The after-shocks from the seismic result scripted by David Ferrer, who eliminated eight-time champion Rafael Nadal, were still resonating through Centre Court at the Monte Carlo Country Club in Monaco.

The Frenchman had won their last meeting on clay in straight sets at the French Open last year and when he took the first set, it appeared the match might be over soon. But Federer showed intense desire and commitment, fighting back from within two points of defeat, to earn a hard fought 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-1 victory and reach the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters.

After a rather sedate start, with both players holding serve easily to stay even at 2-2, the match and with it the crowd came alive in the nearly ten-minute long battle for the fifth game. Federer threatened to walk in the door, but Tsonga escaped damage by managing to stave off two break points and six deuce points to remain in front at 3-2.

It was a defiant game from Tsonga and it seemed to rattle Federer. He surrendered the first break of the match, losing his way from game point in the sixth game. Tsonga then stamped his authority on the set when he saved a break point in the next game to take a 5-2 lead. Under early pressure, Federer offered two set points to Tsonga and a second break sealed the set in favour of the Frenchman.

The second set was a scrappy affair. Neither man was playing his best tennis, but that did not stop them from fighting hard for every point. The Swiss was looking to find his way back into the match but push as he may, Tsonga was stubbornly equal to the task. The Frenchman saved as many as five break points in the third game, before protecting a couple more in the fifth game to keep the set on serve.

In the 11th game, Federer pushed Tsonga to the brink again, but failed to translate the two opportunities he had to earn the break. By then, Federer had let slip an incredible 16 break point opportunities in the match, and many might have put their money on Tsonga winning the match. The Swiss was only a couple of points from defeat at 30-30 in the next game, but managed to hold his own and push the set into a tie-breaker.

A forehand winner struck behind Tsonga earned Federer a valuable mini-break for a 4-1 lead in the breaker. The Swiss had three set points at 6-3, two on his own racket, but unexpectedly lost all three chances to allow the Frenchman to claw even at 6-6. Eventually Federer forced the match into a third set, with a volley winner. at the fourth time of asking.

Tsonga seemed a tad annoyed by the resistance from Federer. The world No. 4 pushed Tsonga in the second game of the decisive third set, edging a tight game to earn a crucial break. A tame backhand into the net from Tsonga meant Federer held at love in the next game to gain control of the match at 3-0.

The fourth game went to deuce when Federer struck a brilliantly crafted backhand winner. Federer tightened the noose around Tsonga’s neck when he converted his second opportunity of the game with a powerful forehand winner to take a 4-0 lead. Tsonga then dumped a backhand in the net to afford Federer two chances to gain an almost unassailable 5-0 lead, and the Swiss ensured he was within touching distance of a place in the semifinals by holding serve.

When Tsonga flailed a forehand wide for the second time in the next game, Roger had a point to blank the Frenchman and advance to the semis. Tsonga though held steady to force Federer to serve for the match.

The Swiss was clearly very eager to wrap up victory and three elementary errors off his forehand took the game to deuce, a second match point consigned to the waste-bin along the way.

Eventually though, Tsonga could only do so much to delay the outcome. Federer clinched victory at the third time of asking, helped by another error from Tsonga to signal the end of this two hour 26 minute scrap.

The three time finalist (2006-08) hasn’t played on a Sunday here since his last final, and will await the winner between Novak Djokovic and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to try and see if he can emulate his best showing in Monaco.

The Swiss will take great heart from his unswerving commitment to stay alive in the contest, more than in the quality of his game, which was only good in patches. Federer made 40 winners, but also had 45 unforced errors, compared to 29 and 38 respectively from Tsonga.

In the semifinals, Federer will almost certainly have to do much better with the opportunities that come his way – against Tsonga, he squandered as many as 17 break point chances. You cannot afford to do that against Djokovic (assuming the Serb gets there).