Can Tsonga the charmer harm Djokovic?

If Grand Slams were decided on charm alone, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would be among the all-time high achievers. Some star names play their tennis on the world stage barely noticing the crowds in the stands. But Tsonga is at his best when he and the crowd feed off one another. It is not that he is needy for their love and approval; it is that he thrives on entertaining them, and they find they cannot help but roar their appreciation.

It was never more true than in his quarter-final against Roger Federer. For two sets, the 26-year-old Frenchman failed to engage the Centre Court, and the match correspondingly went awry. But late in that second set came a moment when he seemed to remember he was not utilising this key weapon in his armoury, and he played a particular rally where he flung himself about the court in his customary fashion.

He lost the point, and the set too, but he began to win over the crowd, which was quite something given their adoration of his illustrious opponent. By the end of his astonishing triumph they were powerless to resist him, and they bellowed their approval of his signature victory dance as he galloped round and round, arms aloft.

For those who like their coincidences on the spooky side, think on this: Tsonga is seeded 12, just like Tomas Berdych last year, who also defeated Federer at the quarter-final stage, and went on to play Novak Djokovic in the last four. Tsonga will like the fact that Berdych beat the Serb; he may not be quite so keen on the fact that Berdych was subsequently trampled by Rafael Nadal in the final.

Tsonga, the only first-time Wimbledon semi-finalist in the last four, actually holds a 5-2 winning record over Djokovic, which is just as well given the second seed's form in 2011. All seven previous encounters have been on hard courts, and they last met at the Australian Open last year, with Tsonga winning in five.