Tsonga sends Nadal packing, enters semis

Rafael Nadal crashed out of the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday as France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-3 in a thrilling shoot-out for a place in the semi-finals. World number two Nadal had to win his final Group B match to join Roger Federer and David Ferrer in the last four at London’s O2 Arena, but last year’s runner-up bowed out after his second successive defeat in the season finale. Tsonga’s victory means he will play the winner of Group A in Saturday’s semi-finals, while Nadal — who is yet to win this tournament — will return home to rest his aching limbs before leading Spain’s challenge in the Davis Cup final against Argentina. With Federer safely through as group winner and Mardy Fish already eliminated it was a straight fight between Nadal and Tsonga to qualify alongside the Swiss star. ‘No Motivation’ Rafael Nadal admits he has struggled to find the motivation to drag his weary body through the final weeks of a gruelling campaign. Nadal has been one of the leading voices in the campaign to shorten the ATP season and he conceded he was feeling not only the physical but also the mental strain of 11 months on the circuit. “I can talk hours about that,” he said when asked for reasons behind his recent slump.