Tennis: Tsonga determined to shake off also-ran label

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.

While Djokovic, who beat him in Melbourne in 2008 to earn his first major, has added seven more and currently has the world number one ranking locked down, Tsonga has often threatened but never quite delivered.

"These six semis, well, that's wonderful, but I have not yet won it (a grand slam title)," Tsonga, 30, told a news conference.

"So six semis, that's all very nice. I have not yet won it. The good thing would be to win one day. The earlier I can do this -- well, if this happens, the earlier the better, because then it will do me a lot of good."

Tsonga celebrated beating Nishikori in a topsy turvy match interrupted by a piece of the giant scoreboard falling an injuring fans but theatrically drawing a 'ROLAND, JE T'AIME' with his foot on the Roland Garros clay before laying down on his back on centre court his arms out-stretched.

After the initial euphoria, however, Tsonga will realise that he may never have a better chance to reach another final as it is Stanislas Wawrinka, not one of the established "big four" who awaits in the semi-final.

Wawrinka did him a favour by getting rid of 17-times grand slam champion Federer on Tuesday.

Should he beat Wawrinka, stiil a huge task, Tsonga would probably face either Djokovic or nine-times Roland Garros champion Rafa Nadal, meaning a maiden major title may still be out of reach.

Tsonga, however, has his own dream.

"You're going to be praised when you reach semis at Roland Garros as if you had already won the tournament," he said.

"Whereas, in fact, to me it's not ended yet. Therefore, since the most recent episodes, I try and take a lot of distance and not to pay too much attention to all these articles.

"What I do is for myself. It is my own dream." - Reuters