Murray hammers Tsonga in Shanghai Masters

British world number four Andy Murray hammered 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-2 Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters.

Murray's success against the Frenchman puts him into the final four against the winner from the match between Roland Garros semi-finalist Jurgen Melzer and Argentine Juan Monaco.

His game was looking bleak a week ago in Beijing when he lost in the quarter-finals and remained without a place in next month's eight-man World Tour Finals in London.

But that immediate problem was solved with Murray's straight-sets win on Thursday against another French opponent in Jeremy Chardy, who proved to be just a warm-up for the damage inflicted on Tsonga, the 2008 Australian Open finalist.

Murray blasted through in 54 minutes without facing a break point and getting past the Tsonga serve on four occasions. The Scot finished his rout as the frustrated Frenchman sailed a return long over the baseline.

The result was the seventh loss in eight recent meetings with a top 10 opponent for Tsonga, seeded 12th but struggling with form after returning only last week in Tokyo due to a knee problem which kept him off the summer hardcourt circuit.

Murray, now fit after the virus he chased away last week in Beijing, won his 39th match of the season as he looks for a second title in 2010 after winning Toronto in August over Roger Federer.

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