Wimbledon 2011: Roger Federer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Go 5, Frenchman Claims Victory

With a 4-1 lead in matches between these two competitors, Swiss Roger Federer, given time to reflect, may have thought about other angles to use in this matchup versus Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The commentary on the match was fantastic, allowing us to gain a better understanding of what it means to play professionally. I think it was ESPN who first coined the sound of hitting a ball with a distinct and resounding crisp and clean thump by someone on the outer courts.

That particular sound, the strings on the racket marked by a thump of the ball, was a sound emitted by Pete Sampras from several years ago.

You wouldn't have even needed to see him. Instead just hearing that unique thwack would identify who it was in the next court over. Yes. That's Pete Sampras, a distinctive sound.

So then, if you listened closely, you could tell when Tsonga was hitting the ball harder too.

Federer came out confident and assured, swiping balls past the outstretched Tsonga. Very early in this match we see Tsonga taking risks by coming into the net. He took his chances on the volley and it paid off. Going 37-of-58 for a 64 percent conversion rate, Federer scored 26 of 42 for 62 percent.

Some volleys were exchanged with both players at net. What's noticeable on the volley is that despite Tsonga losing the first two sets utilizing the net, he stuck with his net game anyway. Even in the final game, he was getting in for net play.

Early on it looked as if Federer was challenging Tsonga's backhand. Time after time, Roger employed the idea that if he could go to his backhand, then reverse course on the forehand, it would create winners. With 57 winners, Federer was stacking them up one by one. Set one, 6-3 Federer.

One thing you may have noticed was the lack of angle forecourt winners from the baseline from both players. Like most, the short court, from the service line to the net, is a space utilized to hit ground stroke winners and volleys.

Sometimes with a change of pace, it becomes easier to hit short angle shots for winners. Tsonga for the most part was using pace to maneuver Federer.

In the first two sets, which Tsonga lost, first serve percentage was 76 percent for Federer and 58 percent for Tsonga. Perhaps this sheds some light on how a match can be won, lost or leveraged based on the serve.

The match was played outdoors. With the roof opened on Centre Court, Federer, who held the match and tiebreak for the second, set equaled 7-3. With the ease Roger was holding onto his games and tiebreaks, one may have thought this was going to be routine day for the Swiss Maestro.

“I think we both did a really good job of doing the one-two punch," Federer said at the post-match press conference. "I knew he could do it. It was not really a surprise to see him do it for five sets. But it was good tennis. You know, I really enjoyed it. It was unfortunate at the end I wasn't able to come out of it.

“I'll work harder than ever, the way I usually do, and hopefully come back extremely strong for Davis Cup first of all, and then for the American summer again.”

In set three, Tsonga took a 6-4 win into the fourth. First thing on the agenda for Tsonga was to keep up the pressure. In set four, with creating a break, Tsonga was steady for holding the lead.

Unfortunately, up to this point, Tsonga had four double faults to Federer's 13 aces.

On paper, Federer should have won this match. Not in this instance, as this 19th ranked Frenchman, Musketeer held his head up high on defense.

In the fourth, Federer serving, Tsonga broke through for 2-1. Federer was also not giving in as he cracked yet another ace. We draw the score up now to 3-1 Tsonga with a break. He takes the set 6-4.

For the fifth and deciding set, another break went the Frenchman's way. Almost able to break at love, Tsonga held a 40-15 lead in the very first game before he broke Roger.

Tsonga was also using his serve for good measure as he threw in an ace up the “T.” With a possible tie for seven Wimbledons made famous by Pete Sampras and earlier Bjorn Borg, Federer was putting in the hard work for a seventh title at SW18, this day.

With Federer's 16th ace, he was again, on-paper, a lock for champion at Wimbledon once the semis were determined. Match score was 3-6, 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in favor of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.