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Tsonga started his [[2008 Australian Open]] campaign with a tough draw against 9th seed [[Andy Murray (tennis)|Andy Murray]]. Tsonga defeated the [[Scot]] in four sets, which set up a clash with [[United States|American]] qualifier [[Sam Warburg]] in the second round. After easily defeating Warburg, Tsonga advanced to the third round, where he was victorious over [[Spaniard]] [[Guillermo García López]].
Tsonga started his [[2008 Australian Open]] campaign with a tough draw against 9th seed [[Andy Murray (tennis)|Andy Murray]]. Tsonga defeated the [[Scot]] in four sets, which set up a clash with [[United States|American]] qualifier [[Sam Warburg]] in the second round. After easily defeating Warburg, Tsonga advanced to the third round, where he was victorious over [[Spaniard]] [[Guillermo García López]].
In the fourth round, Tsonga defeated compatriot [[Richard Gasquet]] 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-3. In the quarterfinals, Tsonga upset [[Mikhail Youzhny]] 7-5, 6-0, 7-6. Reaching the semifinals, Tsonga delivered a historically strong performance to defeat the number two seed [[Rafael Nadal]] in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, without dropping a service game, earning him a spot in his first career [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] final. He will meet [[Novak Đoković]] in the final Sunday, [[27 January]].
In the fourth round, Tsonga defeated compatriot [[Richard Gasquet]] 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-3. In the quarterfinals, Tsonga upset [[Mikhail Youzhny]] 7-5, 6-0, 7-6. Reaching the semifinals, Tsonga delivered a historically strong performance to defeat the number two seed [[Rafael Nadal]] in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, without dropping a service game, earning him a spot in his first career [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] final. He will lose to [[Novak Đoković]] in the final Sunday, [[27 January]] due to his one-dimensional style of play.


==Career statistics==
==Career statistics==

Revision as of 23:25, 26 January 2008

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tsonga at the U.S. Open 2007
Country (sports) France
ResidenceLe Mans, France
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[[1]
Turned pro2004
PlaysRight-handed; two-handed backhand
Prize money$484,813
Singles
Career record19 - 15
Career titles0 ATP
Highest rankingNo. 38 (January 7, 2008)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenF (2008*)
French Open1st (2005)
Wimbledon4th (2007)
US Open3rd (2007)
Doubles
Career record11 - 6
Career titles2 ATP
Highest rankingNo. 89 (January 14, 2008)
Last updated on: January 24, 2008.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Petsonga (born April 17, 1985) is a French professional tennis player.

Tsonga has a career high ranking of #38, achieved on January 7, 2008. At the 2007 Australian Open, he took the first set off Andy Roddick in a twenty points to eighteen tiebreak. At the 2008 Australian Open, Tsonga defeated number 14 seed Mikhail Youzhny, number 9 seed Andy Murray, number 8 seed Richard Gasquet, and number 2 seed Rafael Nadal to reach the final. In doing so, Tsonga became the first player to reach his first-ever ATP-level final at a Grand Slam event since Gustavo Kuerten (1997 French Open). [2]

Background

Born in Le Mans, Tsonga has a French mother, Evelyne, and a Congolese father, Didier Tsonga, who moved to France in the 1970s to play handball.[3] Both of his parents now work as teachers in France. Tsonga also has an older sister, Sasha, and a younger brother, Enzo, who is a part of the French junior basketball program. [4]

As a child, he and fellow tennis player Gaël Monfils would spend hours trying to develop a serve just like Andy Roddick's. Players on the ATP circuit have nicknamed Tsonga "the Muhammad Ali of Tennis" due to his striking resemblance to Muhammad Ali, who is one of his heroes.[5] Tsonga is coached by compatriot Eric Winogradsky.

Tennis career

Early career

Tsonga had a successful junior career, winning the U.S. Open Juniors title in 2003 by defeating Marcos Baghdatis in the final, and also reached the semi-final stage of the other three Grand Slam events.

After turning pro in 2004, Tsonga suffered a string of injuries beginning in late 2004 with a herniated disc that caused him to be out of action until March 2005. Then came two right shoulder injuries later in 2005, back and abdominal ailments from October 2005 to February 2006, and the reinjuring of an abdominal injury at the end of 2006. In all, he only played 8 tournaments over that span of years. [6]

2007

In January 2007 he received a wild card into the 2007 Australian Open, where in only his second senior Grand Slam match he met up with sixth seed Andy Roddick. Tsonga's singles rank at the time was #212 and– in the longest tiebreaker in Australian Open history– he defeated Roddick in the first set (20-18). Tsonga forced a tiebreaker in the second, losing it and taking only two points, and went on to lose the match 6-7 (18), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-3. At the time, he was 21 years old.

In 2007, he won four Challenger titles in Tallahassee, Mexico City, Lanzarote, and Surbiton. Tsonga qualified for the 2007 Queen's Club Championships while at the same time playing in the Surbiton Challenger, which he won. Between the two events, he scored victories in five matches during the course of two days. In the second round of the Queen's main draw he met the sixth seed and defending champion, former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, ranked #16 in the ATP rankings. Tsonga won the match after two tiebreakers, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), to seal his most prominent victory since his triumph over Carlos Moya, then ranked #6 in the world, at Beijing in 2004. However, suffering from fatigue, Tsonga went on to lose to promising Croatian youngster Marin Čilić in the following round.

At Wimbledon 2007, where he was again awarded a wild card, he reached the fourth round (his first time past round one of a Slam), defeating Julien Benneteau, Nicolas Lapentti, and Feliciano López. His run was halted by his countryman and friend, 12th seed (14th-ranked) Richard Gasquet, in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. He did not beat a seed in coming to the fourth round (Andy Murray, the potential seed he would have faced, had dropped out). The win brought his ranking up from #110 to #74, his first time inside the top 75.

Then at the 2007 U.S. Open, Tsonga defeated Óscar Hernández 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 in the first round before beating Tim Henman 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, which resulted in Henman's last Grand Slam match. He then lost to an injured number two Rafael Nadal 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-1.

The 2007 Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon tournament started strong for Tsonga. He did not drop a set, beating Vincent Spadea and avenging fourth seed Richard Gasquet (who beat him at Wimbledon) 6-4, 6-4, then defeating Olivier Rochus. He then, however, lost 6-1, 6-2 to compatriot Sébastien Grosjean. He combined with Grosjean, however, in men's doubles, where the team was honored a wildcard. In the first round, the team beat Julien Benneteau and Michaël Llodra, both compatriots and top seeds, 2-6, 6-4 before a retirement. The team defeated compatriots Fabrice Santoro and Gilles Simon in the quarterfinals and third seeds and also compatriots Arnaud Clément and Nicolas Mahut in the semifinals. Tsonga won his first doubles title and Grosjean won his first doubles title in three years by defeating Łukasz Kubot and Lovro Zovko in the final 6-4, 6-3.

2008

Starting his 2008 season, Tsonga survived a thriller singles match at the 2008 Next Generation Adelaide International. He defeated Victor Hanescu 6-3, 4-6, 7-5. He scored comfortable, straight sets victories over his next two opponents, defeating Ernests Gulbis 6-3, 6-2, and Lleyton Hewitt (the top seed) 6-4, 6-2. However, he fell in the semi-finals to Jarkko Nieminen, the third seed, 6-2, 6-4. In doubles, Tsonga and Sébastien Grosjean lost to Florian Mayer and Chris Haggard, 2-6, 7-6 (6), [10-6], in the first round.

Tsonga played in the Sydney Medibank International with Richard Gasquet in the doubles final, scoring a major upset over world number one duo Bob and Mike Bryan (4-6, 6-4, 11-9). The French pair came back from two match points down to win the championship and denying the Bryan brothers ever winning the tournament.

Tsonga started his 2008 Australian Open campaign with a tough draw against 9th seed Andy Murray. Tsonga defeated the Scot in four sets, which set up a clash with American qualifier Sam Warburg in the second round. After easily defeating Warburg, Tsonga advanced to the third round, where he was victorious over Spaniard Guillermo García López. In the fourth round, Tsonga defeated compatriot Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-3. In the quarterfinals, Tsonga upset Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-0, 7-6. Reaching the semifinals, Tsonga delivered a historically strong performance to defeat the number two seed Rafael Nadal in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, without dropping a service game, earning him a spot in his first career Grand Slam final. He will lose to Novak Đoković in the final Sunday, 27 January due to his one-dimensional style of play.

Career statistics

Legend (Singles)
Grand Slam (0)
Tennis Masters Cup (0)
ATP Masters Series (0)
ATP Tour (0)
Challengers (8)
Futures (6)

Grand Slam Singles finals (1)

Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final
2008 Australian Open Serbia Novak Đoković

Singles (8)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score
1. June 14, 2004 SpainLanzarote Hard SpainDaniel Munoz De La Nava 7-5 6-3
2. July 5, 2004 United KingdomNottingham Grass United KingdomAlex Bogdanovic 6-3 6-4
3. July 26, 2004 RussiaTogliatti Hard SlovakiaLadislav Svarc 6-3 7-6
4. March 28, 2005 MexicoLeón Hard United StatesGlenn Weiner 7-5 7-5
5. October 10, 2005 FranceSaint-Dizier Hard Indoors GermanyTorsten Popp 6-0 7-6(8)
6. March 13, 2006 FranceLille Hard Indoors FranceSebastien de Chaunac 7-5 7-5
7. March 27, 2006 United KingdomBath Hard Indoors SwedenMichael Ryderstedt 6-3 6-2
8. April 3, 2006 United KingdomBath Hard Indoors SwedenFilip Prpic 6-3 6-1
9. October 9, 2006 FranceRennes Hard Indoors GermanyTobias Summerer 1-6 7-5 7-5
10. March 19, 2007 FrancePoitiers Hard LatviaAndis Juska 6-1 7-5
11. April 2, 2007 United StatesTallahassee Hard South AfricaRik De Voest 6-1 6-4
12. April 9, 2007 MexicoMexico City Hard MexicoBruno Echagaray 6-4 2-6 6-1
13. April 30, 2007 SpainLanzarote Hard AustraliaPaul Baccanello 6-2 6-2
14. June 4, 2007 United KingdomSurbiton Grass CroatiaIvo Karlović 6-3 7-6

Doubles (2)

No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponent in the final Score
1. 29 October, 2007 Lyon, France Carpet France Sébastien Grosjean Poland Łukasz Kubot
Croatia Lovro Zovko
6-4, 6-3
2. 13 January, 2008 Sydney, Australia Hard France Richard Gasquet United States Bob Bryan
United States Mike Bryan
4-6, 6-4, [11]-[9]

Singles Grand Slam performance timeline

To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the US Open in Flushing Meadows, which concluded on September 9, 2007.

Tournament 2005 2006 2007 2008 Career SR Career Win-Loss
Australian Open A A 1R 0 / 1 0-1
French Open 1R A A 0 / 1 0-1
Wimbledon A A 4R 0 / 1 3-1
US Open A A 3R 0 / 1 2-1
SR 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 3 0 / 4 N/A
Grand Slam Win-Loss 0-1 0-0 5-3 N/A 5-4

Davis Cup matches are included in the statistics.

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

References

  1. ^ http://frenchballs.loco-web.com/tsonga/page_profil.htm]
  2. ^ http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=tennis-m/news/BCN4125407.htm
  3. ^ http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080124.wspttebbutt24/GSStory/GlobeSportsOther/home?cid=al_gam_mostview
  4. ^ http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23098790-5013406,00.html
  5. ^ Holt, Sarah (june 30 2007). "The Muhammad Ali of tennis". BBC Sport. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22793071/