Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Exhausted Tsonga pulls out of Kooyong Classic

After two rain-interrupted defeats, Frenchman Jo Wilfried-Tsonga has thrown in the towel at the invitational Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, citing exhaustion and the need to rest ahead of the Australian Open.
The world number six, who complained of jet-lag after slumping to a straight-sets loss to Austria's Jurgen Melzer in the first round, was beaten by Japan's Kei Nishikori 1-6 6-4 6-1 on Thursday and has elected not to play his third and final match, tournament director Colin Stubs told Reuters.
"He's a bit jet-lagged and he just felt like 'if I'm going to give myself half a chance I've got to have a day off.' It's not an injury per se," Stubs said.
Tsonga arrived in Melbourne this week after a long-haul flight from the Middle East where he won the Qatar Open following his appearance at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi.
His withdrawal followed Canadian Milos Raonic's pull-out from the eight-man field at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club on Wednesday after his first-round defeat to Mardy Fish.
Raonic, who won the Chennai Open on Sunday, withdrew citing a stomach bug.
Organisers were forced to scramble to find replacements to pad out the draw, with American Sam Querrey and Serbia's Viktor Troicki drafted in to play each other in an exhibition match on Friday.
"You live to fight another day," Stubs said of Tsonga's exit. "If I cracked it with everyone who did that to me, I wouldn't have an event."
American world number eight Mardy Fish will play Melzer for a place in Saturday's final against Australian teenager Bernard Tomic who ground down 15th-ranked Frenchman Gael Monfils in three sets on Thursday.
Andy Murray will also make an appearance at the warm-up tournament on Friday, playing a one-off exhibition match against Argentine veteran David Nalbandian as he seeks a last competitive hit-out before the year's first grand slam.
The Kooyong Classic guarantees players three matches on the same court surface used at Melbourne Park.
The Jan. 16-29 Australian Open starts on Monday.
http://yhoo.it/wv6X6T

The home of France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was burgled while he was playing against Roger Federer in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals in London, Swiss newspaper Le Matin reported on Wednesday.
The paper cited the player, who said he hoped he would still be able to ``recognise his house'' when he returns to Switzerland.
Tsonga has lived in Gingins, a village close to the border with France, since July 2009.
The alarm was raised on Monday morning by a neighbour, who noticed that one of the windows had been forced open.
On Tuesday, the shutters at the villa remained closed.

AAP.

Tsonga got a WC for Estoril.

World No. 17 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga finished strongly to earn his place in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Monday, coming from a set down to defeat Argentine Juan Monaco 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The Frenchman is playing in the main draw at this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tennis tournament for just the second time, but after surrendering the first set, he found his game and broke Monaco six times in the final two sets to claim victory in two hours and 31 minutes.

"I showed a lot of willpower, I had a good attitude, and I was aggressive," said Tsonga. "I chose some tactics at the beginning. I realised it was not working well because he was able to return all my loops, so I was able to change my tactics and play more directly to him. It worked pretty well. I approached the net and tried to mix up my game. I think there are many things I liked in my game today, and I played a very good match."

This season Tsonga has continued to improve as he makes his comeback from the knee injury that caused him problems in 2010. He reached the final in Rotterdam (l. to Soderling) in February and was a semi-finalist in Doha (l. to Federer). He improved to a 12-6 mark and next will face Croatian Ivan Ljubicic.

J. TSONGA/J. Monaco

4-6, 6-3, 6-2

An interview with:

JO WILFRIED TSONGA


THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. What did you like in your game today?
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: I showed a lot of willpower, I had a good attitude, and I was aggressive. I chose some tactics at the beginning. I realized it was not working well because he was able to return all my loops, so I was able to change my tactics and play more directly to him. It worked pretty well.
I approached the net and tried to mix up my game. I think there are many things I liked in my game today, and I played a very good match.

Q. You've shown a lot of consistency in your will and energy. Before you only had one hour and a half autonomy and now you seem to be able to play more than two and a half hours as you did today.
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: Yes, I had no problems with that. In Miami and Indian Wells already I was feeling better. There I was able to assess my fitness. When I came back, I worked a lot. I had some good training sessions.
So I'm very happy. It's not bad. I hope it will keep going.

Q. So you had no problems with the transition to clay?
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: No worries. Last season I played well on clay and I was not worried. I was just wondering whether sliding would be as easy as before with what I have now. But, in fact, it is easier because it is softer and I need to make less effort to change directions.

Q. And playing tomorrow again, is it okay?
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: Well, I'll give you an answer at the end of tomorrow's match. But I hope so.
In fact, I don't have too many doubts about this. In Indian Wells and Miami I practiced a lot, and again when I came back here.

Q. It's a new situation for you now without a coach. You can't look at him during the match.
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: Well, during a match it doesn't make much difference because the coach can't play for you. You only have a visual contact, but you're alone on the court.
Today I had several people to support me like Michel, Guillaume, JC from Babolat, and a friend of mine.

Q. But how is it without a coach when you are not playing a match?
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: I organize differently. I must think about more things. But I have people to help me. I'm not the one having to run everywhere to book a court or do everything.

Q. Without a coach, after a match, you don't have to go through the debriefing process either.
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: Well, we used to have fights about that because I never liked those debriefing sessions very much.

Q. Are you going to stay without a coach for a long period?
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: I don't know. It will depend on my results. I'm exaggerating, of course. But Federer, when he stopped having a coach, he still played well.
The important thing is having good results, never mind with whom I'm working or not working. If one day I feel lost on the court which was not the case today I might think about it again.

Q. Do you have offers?
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: Obviously. Some people approach me. I'm among the best players in the world, in France, and of course some coaches would like to coach me.

Q. Can you give us some names?
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: I can't give you all the names.

Q. Can you then give us a number?
JO WILFRIED TSONGA: Well, I don't get to know everyone who approaches me. Morgan gets some of the requests. For the time being, I feel good as I am. I can just tell you that my mailbox is not full.

Google Translate: End of collaboration between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Eric Winogradsky, by mutual agreement. TFF alongside Jo at this important time of reflection on the conduct of his sporting project.

Sounds like Tsonga has split with his long-term coach. Not yet confirmed.

Once more, just adding to @paulmurpy's and @cessoles' posts:

"My tendon snapped once again in Montpellier," said Tsonga, who was out for about three months after hurting his knee at Wimbledon. "The injury is less serious than last summer but the doctors told me to end my season."

"It's the biggest setback in my career along with having to pull out of the Olympic Games," said the oft-injured Frenchman, who also missed the 2008 Beijing Games.

This announcement was foreshadowed by @cessoles ealrier today - now it's official.

This is from AAP: France's hopes of winning the Davis Cup were dealt a body blow on Wednesday when top player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said he was ending his season because of a knee injury.
The world No.13 already had three months on the sidelines this summer to have an operation on his troublesome left knee and only returned to action last month in Tokyo.
But he felt pain again in the joint in losing to compatriot Gael Monfils in the semi-finals of the ATP Montpellier tournament last week.
"I will not play at Bercy (Paris Masters) and the Davis Cup because of the injury I sustained at Montpellier," Tsonga said drawing down the curtain on another injury-marred season.
His absence will be felt by France when they travel to Belgrade early next month to contest the Davis Cup final against Novak Djokovic's Serbia who will be bidding to win the trophy for the first time.
Monfils will likely be France's lead singles player with the other spot going to either Michael Lodra, Richard Gasquet or Gilles Simon.

Tsonga is expected to announce in a press conference this morning he puts an end to his season.