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 The former world number one, coming off a wretched 2013, channeled
the halcyon days of his new coach Stefan Edberg, swooping at the net
to fell the stunned Frenchman at an electric Rod Laver Arena.
Having suffered early exits at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, Federer
muscled into his 41st grand slam quarter-final, equaling the record
of American Jimmy Connors in the professional era.
Under the watchful eye of Edberg — one of the game's finest
serve-volleyers — the Swiss master fittingly sealed the match with
an imperious cross-court volley and declared the crisis of
confidence that blighted last season banished.
"For me personally, I've overcome it, I don't have doubts anymore,"
the 32-year-old told reporters.
"I know I'm going definitely in the right direction. I've had a
great off-season. I had a strong end to the year. I couldn't have
worked harder in the off-season.
"This was a big test for me.
"What I've shown over the last three to four months to myself is
that I'm more confident, that I know I'm most likely going to play
okay in my next match, which wasn't always the case midway through
last year."
Having mauled a string of unheralded opponents in his three previous
matches, Federer braced for his biggest test against the flashy
Frenchman, who dumped him from the Roland Garros quarter-finals in
straight sets.
Federer picked apart his opponent's serve twice in an opening set
boasting 14 points won from 17 rushes to the net, and sealed it when
Tsonga pushed a lob into the tramlines.
The Frenchman battled to keep the match on serve in the second set
but it all came unstuck at 5-5.
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He saved a break point with an ace, but Federer raised a
second with a sliced backhand that the net cord dropped unkindly
onto the Frenchman's side.
Sealing the set with an ace, Federer then ensured there would be
no repeat of the marathon five-setter he needed to knock out
Tsonga at last year's quarter-finals.
Trailing 4-2 in the third set with three break-points against
him, an exasperated Tsonga howled in frustration, earning a
warning for bashing a ball into the night sky.
He saved them all to close out the game and slammed his racket
into his chair in a bid to pump himself up.
But in the following game, the Frenchman dumped his sole break
point chance into the net allowing Federer to march on, and
serve out the final game to love.
Wednesday's clash against fourth seed Murray will be a re-match
of last year's semi-final in which the Briton won a thriller in
five sets.
With eight-times grand slam champion Ivan Lendl in Murray's
corner, both players will rack the brains of their 1980s legends
turned super-coaches in a bid to find an edge.
"He did things his way back in the day," Federer said of
six-times grand slam champion Edberg.
"I'm sure things were different back then. But still you can
take so many things from his experience. I want to say maybe try
out a few things that worked for him, try out a few things that
he thinks would work out for me this time around.
"I feel like I can think ahead. I can think tactics. I can think
many things out there ... I've overcome a lot in the last few
months."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; editing by Justin Palmer)
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