Charismatic Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has delivered the knockout blow to German Tommy Haas's Australian Open tennis campaign.
Haas, a three-time Open semi-finalist, wearied by a tough five-setter in his previous match, took the fight to Muhammad Ali look-alike Tsonga, but could not quite go the distance.
The big-serving and freakishly talented Tsonga came from 5-2 down in the fourth set, reeling off the final five games to win 6-4 3-6 6-1 7-5.
Haas, who at 31 was the oldest seeded player in the tournament, needed a medical time-out to receive a lower back massage after taking the second set.
And it looked as though 10th seed Tsonga, a finalist in Melbourne two years ago and fresh from straight sets wins in the first two rounds, would take full toll as he raced through the third set.
But Haas showed grit to push ahead early in the fourth and looked ready to take it to a decider.
However, the athletic Tsonga produced a run of brilliant tennis to level the set and then run away with the match in a surge of confidence.
