• French Open, Day 10: What They Said

What They Said: Federer gracious in defeat, Tsonga joy

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will face David Ferrer in the French Open semi-finals © AP

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga stormed into the semi-finals with a comprehensive straight sets win over Roger Federer, and the crowd favourite was delighted with the achievement.

"It's extraordinary to be here and to have won," he said. "I never dreamt of this moment. Today was my moment against a champion who has won everything."

Federer was gracious in defeat to the Frenchman. "I thought he played great today. He was in all areas better than me today, that's why the result was pretty clean. No doubt about it. I was impressed by the way he played today. They have much more energy here, the French guys, than maybe elsewhere. I struggled a little bit everywhere. To be honest, personally, I'm pretty sad about the match and the way I played, but that's how it goes, you know."

David Ferrer will be Tsonga's semi-final opponent, and the little Spaniard like Tsonga is yet to lose a set at the event so far.

"When you're in good shape, you feel good, you can be totally motivated, you have this will to play, you're ready to play for five hours, for five sets," said Ferrer.

Serena Williams came into her quarter-final with Svetlana Kuznetsova in the form of her life, but faced down her demons to reach the semi-finals in Paris for the first time since 2003.

Coming into the match on the back of a career-best run of 28 consecutive victories, Williams made the perfect start as she raced through the first set 6-1, but after dropping serve for the first time in the tournament at the start of the second set, the wheels might have fallen off.

But the 15-time grand slam champion dug deep to set up a final-four showdown with Sara Errani.

"I'm very happy to have won this quarter-final, because the whole night I was afraid of my quarter-final match," Williams told the crowd in French. "It was a very tough match today, but it's good for me because, I don't know, but it's very good. I am exhausted."

Last year's beaten finalist Errani had cause for celebration after clocking up another career first. Her quarter-final victory over Agnieszka Radwanska may not have been pretty, but it marked her first ever win over a top-five opponent.

"I knew it would be a battle against Agnieszka and I was ready for that," said the delighted Italian. "It's unbelievable. There was a lot of pressure this year but I made it good."

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