TENNIS in DEPTH.

At one stage, second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bowed down to Finn Jarkko Nieminen in their second round Brisbane International clash.

But in the end, it was Nieminen who was brought to his knees after world No.7 Tsonga sensationally fought back from a set and a break down to clinch a rollercoaster match 0-6 7-6 7-6 lasting more than two hours.

Tsonga, 23, looked set to become the second big name to depart in as many days at the inaugural event after world No.41 Nieminen ambushed the Frenchman 6-0 in a first set that lasted just 27 minutes.

Organisers were no doubt sweating bullets when the livewire Frenchman conceded an early break in the second barely 24 hours after top seed Novak Djokovic had crashed out in the first round.

Indeed it seemed the left-handed Finn could do no wrong on Wednesday.

By the second set Tsonga dropped to the court to do his best “I’m not worthy” impersonation after Nieminen, 27, incredibly belted back the Frenchman’s full-blooded overhead smash to clinch yet another winner.

But cheered on by a vocal crowd, Tsonga regrouped to break back in the seventh game and force a second set tiebreak.

He comfortably sealed it 7-1, and the trademark swagger returned.

The Finn held a break point in the sixth game of the third set but Tsonga held his new-found nerve to hold on and force another tiebreak.

Tsonga’s big serve and powerful forehand helped seal the tense tiebreak 7-5, booking a quarterfinal showdown with seventh-seeded compatriot Richard Gasquet.

While Tsonga has forged an exciting new rivalry in men’s tennis with Australian Open champion Djokovic, Nieminen has also emerged as a potential nemesis for the French livewire.

Twelve months ago the Finn knocked out Tsonga in their only previous meeting – in the semi-finals of the 2008 Adelaide men’s tournament, which has merged with the Gold Coast women’s event to create the Brisbane International.

And history looked like repeating when Nieminen broke the usually powerful Tsonga’s serve three times to waltz to an early 6-0 lead in front of a hushed Pat Rafter Arena crowd.

Nieminen – who accounted for popular wildcard and former Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis in the first round – looked poised to notch another big Brisbane scalp when he broke Tsonga in the third game of the second set.

But the Finn – a journeyman who has finished in the world’s top 50 in six of the last seven years – was quickly reminded that you never count out a champion.

In other major men’s second round results on Wednesday, third-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco – better known as glamour girl Ana Ivanovic’s squeeze – beat Croatia’s Mario Ancic 6-2 6-3.

But giant killer Ernests Gulbis failed to back up from his shock opening round win over world No.3 Djokovic.

Barely 24 hours after his boilover victory, world No.53 Gulbis surrendered 6-3 6-4 to France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu, ranked 22 places higher than the little-known Latvian.

Related Posts:

• An inspired Verdasco makes the semi final.
• Gulbis breaks his maiden with a victory in Delray Beach.
• Llodra saves his best tennis for Marseille.

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