Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will have the support of a partisan crowd when the Frenchman takes on David Ferrer in the semifinals of the French Open.
While most of the attention is going towards the first semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the home crowd will be more concerned about this matchup, with the supporters desperate to see a French finalist at Roland Garros.
Tsonga was unstoppable in the quarterfinals against Roger Federer and if the 28-year-old shows similar form in the semifinals, then Ferrer will have a real battle on his hands.
"For a couple of months, I've been making a lot of effort," Tsonga said. "I've tried to manage my career as well as possible, and I was waiting for rewards because I'm practising hard every day.
"And today (against Federer on Wednesday), I got the rewards. I believed in it of course before the match, because I expect the rewards from what I did. To be honest, I don't know if it's mental, if it's physical, or if I just played the right shot every time I hit the ball.
"Today before I came on court, I had a long discussion with (coach) Roger (Rasheed), and we tried to see how Roger Federer plays on clay and also the way Rafa is to always able make him play the wrong way. I tried to do the same, and today it worked."
Tsonga might have knocked out the Swiss Master, but that does not mean he will take his semifinal opponent lightly.
"He fights. He never gives up. He runs a lot. He moves well," Tsonga said of Ferrer. "He can cover a lot of ground. He hurts you with his forehand and he's very consistent.
"Once you are forced back in a rally, he never lets you free. He's extremely fast. He has a lot of endurance. He has many qualities going for him, otherwise he wouldn't be such a good player."
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