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Rafael Nadal - Source: Reuters -
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Rafael Nadal silenced a partisan crowd by knocking out local favourite and defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5 7-5 with an impressive performance on Saturday to advance to the semi-finals of the Paris Masters.
World number two Nadal, who has won the French Open on the other side of town four times but never this event at the Bercy hall, will meet Novak Djokovic for a place in Monday's final.
The Serbian world number three earlier ruined Robin Soderling's hopes of making the World Tour Finals in London by edging past the Swede 6-4 1-6 6-3.
Spaniard Nadal, who still stands an outside chance of finishing the year at number one, had the crowd against him and faced a strong challenge from the powerful Tsonga, who loves fast indoor courts. But he showed more composure when it mattered.
Both players held serve in a tight first set until Nadal broke the Frenchman in the 11th game to serve for the set, earning two set points with a superb forehand pass and firing a service winner on the first.
The second set followed a similar pattern, Nadal breaking Tsonga with perfect timing, again in the 11th game, when the home favourite hit a backhand long.
Serving for the match, Nadal won the game to love, finishing with a service winner after one hour 51 minutes of fine tennis and putting Tsonga out of the race for the Nov. 22-29 season finale featuring the world's top eight.
World number 10 Soderling's defeat by Djokovic means the French Open runner-up will not go to London either.
Djokovic managed a break early in a first set featuring plenty of exciting rallies. Soderling broke back to level at 4-4 but the Serb broke the Swede again immediately and served for the set, wrapping it up when his opponent hit a backhand wide.
Soderling fought back in the second set, taking just 28 minutes to win it with an ace.
The third set was tight until Soderling dropped serve by netting a backhand, giving Djokovic a 5-4 lead. The Serb sealed victory with Soderling missing a drop shot on match point to bow out after just under two hours.
