Murray books semi-final spot

Andy Murray progressed to the last
four of the ATP World Tour Finals after
claiming a 6-2 7-6 (7-3) victory over Jo-
Wilfried Tsonga at the O2 Arena.
The British No 1 only needed to win a
set to reach the semi-finals but put
some further gloss on his qualification
by dispatching his French opponent
with relative ease.
Tsonga showcased some deft touches
at the net and enjoyed a resurgence at
the end of the second set but Murray,
who goes through as runner-up to
Group A winner Novak Djokovic, was
ultimately a level above him.
Murray signalled his intentions by
claiming a break in opening game, with
another following at the next
opportunity.
Tsonga finally got on the board in the
fifth game, raising a loud cheer even
among a London crowd which had
come out in force to support the home
player.
After the Frenchman managed to hold
serve for a second straight time thanks
to some neat volleying, Murray closed
out the set to book his place in the last
four of the season-ending event.
Despite the fact his place in the semis
was now assured, there was no let-up
from the US Open champion as he
broke again in the first game of the
second set.
With the crowd behind him, Tsonga
finally upped his energy levels midway
through the set and managed to break
the third seed on the back of a
memorable rally in the eighth game.
He even fashioned a set point in the
12th game but sent a forehand wide
and Murray served it out to force a tie-
break, where the Brit took control early
on before completing the win with a
huge ace out wide.
Murray looks set to face Roger Federer
in Sunday's semi-finals but his
opponent will be confirmed after the
conclusion of Group B on Saturday.