World No 3 Novak Djokovic beat Russia's Nikolay Davydenko to advance to the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters Cup yesterday while Juan Martin Del Potro's straight sets win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made the Frenchman the first player to be dumped out of the season-ending tournament.

Tsonga suffered in their bruising encounter that needed two tie-breaks to separate the young debutants before 20-year-old Del Potro won it 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5).

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France returns a shot to Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina during their Masters Cup match in Shanghai on Tuesday. Tsonga lost 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5). [Yang Shizhong/China Daily]

The pair put on a brave show stocked full of smashing serves, heavy groundstrokes and frenetic movement before Del Potro proved better at holding his nerve when it mattered most. If he beats Davydenko tomorrow he will join Djokovic in the final four but the two cannot meet until the final.

"I am happy. I beat the winner of Paris," Del Potro said after the match. "He has a lot of confidence, like me, but I played a great match and I played very well at the important points in the second set, which was the key to beating him."

Tsonga dropped his first service game but quickly broke back in the fourth to level at 2-2. The big-serving pair left scant opportunities for each other in the remaining games before heading towards the first tiebreak.

Tsonga surged to a 3-1 lead before a rash of errors handed his opponent four consecutive points and the set.

The second set saw more of the same, with the pair trading breaks early before the Frenchman ran out of steam and Del Potro took advantage.

Tsonga did everything he could to save two match points but it was not enough to stop Del Potro serving out the match.

"There is not a lot of (difference between us)," said a dejected Tsonga. "I know he played better than me in the tiebreak. I missed some easy balls and that's it."

Del Potro won their only previous meeting a year ago in New Haven, United States but he needed three sets to do so. That victory however no doubt raised his spirits after his straight set loss to Djokovic on Sunday.

"I played once against Tsonga last year. I knew his game and what I can do against him.

"He serves much better but he's not too consistent. He made more errors."

Tsonga smashed 17 aces, 12 more than his opponent but that was not enough on the day.

"Maybe I didn't have enough energy in my two matches. I hope I will feel better for the next match," he said.

Del Potro said he is looking forward to next facing Davydenko, who will be keen to compensate for his loss to Djokovic and avoid the same fate as was handed to Tsonga.

"I played many times against him. I know his game," said the Argentine.

The Djokovic-Davydenko match could have gone either way, with the Serb battling to take the first set then failing to pick up a single game in the second before fighting back to win it 7-6 (3), 0-6, 7-5.

(China Daily November 12, 2008)