Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has progressed to the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters with a three-set win over Kevin Anderson.
Tsonga has now won all three matches against Anderson in his career after, coming through 7-6(6) 5-7 6-4 in what was a closely-fought contest throughout.
In the first set, there was just one break point and Anderson failed to take it, so the duo were soon into a tie-break.
Anderson, the 12th seed, raced out to a 5-1 lead and then had three set points at 6-3, but Tsonga roared back and snatched the set by winning five points in a row.
The second was much like the first and it looked like another breaker would be needed until the 12th and final game when Anderson earned a pair of set points and took the first to level the match.
Sixteenth-seed Tsonga only had two break points in the entire match and they both came in the third game of the third set. He was able to convert the second and that would prove enough for victory.
Anderson, of South Africa, had a chance to break back in the following game, but he missed his chance before Tsonga served out victory to deny Anderson a first Masters 1000 semi-final at the sixth time of asking.
Tsonga will face the winner of the match later today between Rafael Nadal and Stanislas Wawrinka in the last four.
Pascal Lemesre
