Even if his return to the courts is less publicized than that of Roger Federer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the best French player of the last ten years, is again a tennis player.
Like the Swiss, the former French number one has returned to competition after thirteen months of absence.
Quite dryly beaten by Sebastian Korda, 20, in the first round of the Open Sud de France in Montpellier, two weeks ago, the former world number 5 beat the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 6-4 on Tuesday. , 7-5 in the first round.
He went for his first victory since ... November 18, 2019 (in Davis Cup, in Madrid, against the Japanese Yasutaka Uchiyama), the first on the ATP circuit since Bercy 2019!
Happy as a kid, the Manceau savored in front of the empty stands of the Open 13, behind closed doors requires “It's incredible for me.
It's like the best victory of my career, ”said the 35-year-old Frenchman with a smile.
Undermined by new injuries to the pelvis, then to the back, he went through very complicated months with the specter of retirement.
In a press conference, he then breathed: "I was in pain for months, I could not even carry my son, to run after him, to play sports ... I was no longer able to do anything. .
So being there, in Marseille, in a tournament that I particularly cherish, and being able to win a match, it's moving.
Yes, it has been a long way to get there.
Today I won a match and that was one of my goals over these weeks.
I heard everything around me, "he's finished, he can't play anymore" ... For me, to have played tennis is a miracle, to have won so many tournaments, it's a miracle, to have had this career, it's a miracle.
But today's miracle beats all these miracles! ”
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga still in contention at the Open 13 Provence
He has just beaten the Spanish Feliciano Lopez 3-6.
6-4.
7-5 pic.twitter.com/Tx8Y6yGaTi
- Open 13 Provence (@ Open13) March 9, 2021
It must be said that at home in indoor conditions that he loves and against a player he has always beaten (6-0 in their face to face), Tsonga had some benchmarks.
Very borrowed in the first set against a player older than him (Lopez, 61st in the world is 39 years old), the finalist of the Australian Open 20008 has gradually relaxed, despite a very average percentage of first serves (53 % but also 19 aces).
“Unlike Montpellier, I was able to serve normally, especially in the 2nd and 3rd set.
I try to be efficient, to leave as little energy as possible on the court.
Then, I hope that I will be able to improve myself, to move better "Three times winner of the tournament of Marseille (2009, 2013 and 2017), Tsonga does not dream of a 4th title:" For me it is already a miracle of winning a match, so I have no ambition to win the tournament at all.
It would be utopian to aim for victory ”He will face his compatriot Ugo Humbert, 31st in the world, on Wednesday, who will enter the running as seed 4. It will be a clash of generations between the Messin, rising French star of 22 years , and Tsonga, who turns 36 next month.
The two men know each other well since they train at the All 'In Academy of which Le Manceau is a shareholder.
As an outsider: “We trained together very often, we played doubles together.
I know it's gonna be a good showdown.
He's very good, he's improved a lot.
But I'm not going to give him anything and I'm going to try to play my best tennis. "
476. An eternity!
In a 3-set fight, @ tsonga7 dominated @feliciano_lopez (# 66) to claim his first win on the main circuit in 476 days and a Davis Cup victory over Uchiyama in November 2019. # Open13pic.twitter. com / pTtVKmh42l
- Game, Set and Maths (@JeuSetMaths) March 9, 2021
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