Rallying Tsonga outlasts Shapovalov in five-set epic

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won the final five games to advance to the third round 3-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 on Wednesday.

Published : Jan 17, 2018 11:55 IST

Tsonga will face either Nick Kyrgios or Viktor Troicki in the next round following the three-hour, 37-minute epic.
Tsonga will face either Nick Kyrgios or Viktor Troicki in the next round following the three-hour, 37-minute epic.
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Tsonga will face either Nick Kyrgios or Viktor Troicki in the next round following the three-hour, 37-minute epic.

Already a fan favourite at the Australian Open, 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga further endeared himself to the Melbourne public following his titanic five-settle battle with teenage sensation Denis Shapovalov.

Charismatic Frenchman Tsonga faced a second-round exit at Melbourne Park, having found himself 4-1 and 5-2 down in the fifth and final set against his talented 18-year-old opponent on Margaret Court Arena.

READ: Federer, Djokovic and Zverev among Australian Open first-round winners

Shapovalov, regarded as one of the best up-and-coming players on the ATP World Tour, upstaged Tsonga in straight sets at the US Open last year.

READ: Shapovalov announces himself on the big stage

But 15th seed Tsonga – who dazzled the crowd with a number of shots for the highlight reel, including an audacious tweener – won the final five games to advance to the third round 3-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 on Wednesday.

A quarter-finalist last year, Tsonga will face either Nick Kyrgios or Viktor Troicki in the next round following the three-hour, 37-minute epic.

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