Wimbledon 2011: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stuns Roger Federer over five sets

Six-times Wimbledon champion crashes out of tournament
Tsonga, who faces Djokovic, says: 'It was just amazing'
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates his dramatic win over Roger Federer. Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA

As he pinwheeled across Centre Court at the end of a thrilling five-set victory over Roger Federer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, in common with those hailing his achievement, looked like he could scarcely believe it.

But after overhauling the six-time Wimbledon champion, Tsonga said that even after losing the second-set tie-break he had kept faith. "I was feeling really strong. I never panicked. I was really focused. I was not scared."

Just seven minutes into this quarter-final, Federer had been three games up and looked on course for a swift victory.

But the 26-year-old Tsonga, whose ability has never been in question but who has sometimes been accused of lacking the killer instinct in the biggest tournaments, rallied to stun Federer and a delighted crowd.

The Swiss, who had never lost from two sets up in 178 previous grand slam matches and only twice ever in his title-strewn career, was left looking disconsolate and not a little baffled.

At two sets up he had seemingly been coasting to victory in the sun but the powerful Frenchman worked his way back into the match and seized the initiative to win 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

From the third set onwards Tsonga got his reward for boldly pressing forward and looking for winners. Federer could not find a way to deal with his verve or his serve, failing to secure a single break point in any of the final four sets.

It was not Tsonga's shot-making that surprised as much as Federer's failure to find a way back into the match. "He took all the right chances," the Swiss said. "He believed in shots that maybe you don't hit as often. But exactly when he needed them, he was able to pull them off. When it got important, he went for it. It all worked out for him today."

Usually you would say the very same thing about the No3 seed.

Early on in the match, it seemed Federer would glide serenely through his 29th grand slam semi-final as the No12 seed's nerves appeared to get the better of him. When one wag in the then becalmed crowd shouted "Federer, you're a genius" in the seventh game, it was hard to disagree, as he raced into a 5-2 lead. But the longer the match went on the more the momentum shifted to Tsonga, and the more the volume rose as it became clear he had a genuine chance of making history.

In the third set he slowly worked his way back into the match. He wasted two break points in the third game but with a huge forehand that clipped the outside of the line, he finally broke Federer.

The Frenchman was playing well, maintaining focus and converting some fine instinctive shots. He has recently cultivated a one-handed backhand and it flashed across Federer's feet on several occasions, and his powerful ground-strokes were finding the corners.

Most importantly, as he said afterwards, his serve was "unbelievable". After tossing away his first service game, Tsonga did not yield another break point at any point during the match.

The Frenchman showed character to hold at 4-3 and 0-30 down in the third. He was again 0-30 down when serving for the set but eventually won his fourth set point to give himself a glimmer of hope. At the end of that set he had requested a comfort break and taken a wrong turning off court. Back on it, he did not put a foot wrong.

All the confidence Tsonga was lacking in the early exchanges flowed and he broke Federer in the third game of the fourth set, sending a typically muscular passing shot down the line. And he broke Federer again in the first game of the deciding set, proving that fortune favours the brave with a volleyed lob to take the lead for the first time. He did not relinquish that grip.

The result meant Federer exited the tournament as the same stage as last year, when he lost to Tomas Berdych and failed to reach the final for the first time since 2002. But though he seemed at a loss to explain how Tsonga had found a way back, he said this defeat did not hurt as much as last year's because he had played well.

Tsonga, who ironically had a perfect win record in five-set matches until this season – in which he has lost two – finally delivered on all the promise he has shown in an injury-hit career. "I have improved a lot mentally. I am stronger, I have improved a lot of things in my tennis," he said later. "I try to stay focused all the time, just breathe and stay quiet. I did it today and it worked. I am the kind of player who likes these big moments. So I hope I will have some more. I felt so good on the court. I was quick. I was just perfect today. Every time I was feeling like a dream."

Novak Djokovic awaits in the semi-final. Asked if he felt he could win Wimbledon this year the Frenchman, who is playing without a coach and is supported instead by his younger brother Enzo, smiled. "Why not?"