PARIS — Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has looked capable of winning grand slam titles ever since reaching the Australian Open final in 2008 but has always fallen into the category of also-ran.
The popular Frenchman raised home hopes again on Tuesday when he beat Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-1 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-3 in front of an adoring crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his second French Open semi-final in three years.
Now he wants to go at least one better, having also lost two Wimbledon semi-finals in 2011 and 2012, to Djokovic and Andy Murray respectively, the Australian Open semi-final to Roger Federer in 2010 and to David Ferrer in the French semis in 2013.