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Tsonga Motivated For 2008 Final Rematch Against Djokovic

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2019

Tsonga Motivated For 2008 Final Rematch Against Djokovic

Frenchman on the comeback trail from knee surgery

Eleven years ago, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga arrived in Melbourne Park as the No. 38 player in the ATP Rankings. The year before, the Frenchman had been ousted in the first round. But Tsonga became the story of the Australian Open, defeating four Top 15 players to reach the final, which was his first at tour-level.

Tsonga defeated second seed Rafael Nadal in less than two hours in the semi-finals, and his high-energy brand of tennis, and of course his enthusiastic post-match celebrations, immediately became a fans’ favourite and fixture in the sport. While he lost that championship match to Novak Djokovic, a first-time Grand Slam winner, it was a moment Tsonga will never forget.

“It was great. The stadium was full. A lot of Serbians of course, but also a lot of French and a lot of Australians,” Tsonga remembered. “That was a good final, so I have good memories. Of course for me, it was disappointing to lose. But anyway, it was good memories.”

With that success, though, came expectations. Tsonga has claimed 16 ATP Tour titles in his career, won more than $21 million in prize money and climbed as high as No. 5 in the ATP Rankings. But his Cinderella run to the 2008 Australian Open final also made fans hungrier to see him take it a step further.

Tsonga Djokovic

“When you come from nowhere, nobody expects you to play that good and everybody’s cheering for you. You’re new. And after that, everybody wants something for you that you want, but you know that it’s going to take time to be consistent at this level,” Tsonga said. “All the people say that and say, ‘Okay, now you’re the best or one of the best’ and you have to be the best all the time, which is not easy to deal with, of course.”

Last April, Tsonga underwent left knee surgery to repair an injury that kept him out for seven months. And when the Frenchman returned in September, he managed to win just one of his six matches, watching his ATP Ranking fall to No. 262, his lowest point in more than a decade. So inevitably, there were times when Tsonga pondered his future.

“It’s not very easy because you have to test your mind. You have to really know if you still want to play and make the effort to come back at the best level,” Tsonga said. “But at the same time it’s really good because when you are sure that you want to come back and make all the sacrifices to be at a good level, it means that you are really motivated and ready to compete again.”

Watch Tsonga Press Conference

So it’s almost fitting that Tsonga, who defeated Martin Klizan in straight sets on Tuesday, will play World No. 1 Djokovic in the second round at Melbourne Park. As he pushes back towards the top of the sport, it’s as if he’s back where he started 11 years ago.

“Today it’s like I’m back in 2007, 2008. People expect less from me,” Tsonga said. “It’s also something good for me. I work on my side and I try to come back and be better on court and I hope I will be able to do good things again.”

Djokovic dealt with his own injury in 2018, recovering from a right elbow procedure and a 6-6 start to his season to finish as the year-end No.1 in the ATP Rankings. So he could understand what Tsonga is going through.

“It’s funny. I mean, 11 years after our first Grand Slam final here, it feels like a lot has happened for both of us. He also struggled with injuries lately. It’s good to see him playing well. It’s good to see him back,” Djokovic said. “He’s another great player, champion, someone that has been very successful in the past — an established Top 10 player, who played a Grand Slam final. [He’s] just very powerful: [his] serve, forehand, big weapons… I’m going to approach it as any other match, to be honest. Really optimistic, but also respectful, trying to do whatever I can to win it.”

Tsonga knows that he still has to regain match rhythm and will continue to rebuild his body physically to return to his best form. But for now, as motivated as ever, this match against Djokovic will be an opportunity.

“I will go on court without pressure. But we always have a little pressure, because I’m competing and when I go on court I always want to win,” Tsonga said. “But I will go a little bit more free than when I play someone else.

“I will try to take my chance, and live in the moment.”

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Williams sisters go through but in contrasting fashion

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2019
Australian Open 2019
Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 14-27 January
Coverage: Daily live commentaries on the BBC Sport website, listen to Tennis Breakfast daily from 07:00 GMT on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and watch highlights on BBC TV and online from 19 January.

Serena Williams stormed into the Australian Open second round as she began her bid for a 24th Grand Slam title with a win over Tatjana Maria.

The 37-year-old American, whose 23rd major title came in Melbourne when she was pregnant two years ago, won 6-0 6-2 in 49 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Williams holds the most Open era singles titles, but is looking to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24.

Sister Venus dug deep to beat Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.

The Romanian 26th seed served for the match at 5-3 in the second set but Venus broke to love.

The 38-year-old American, ranked 36th, went on to take the set before dominating the third.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion said: “It was pretty hairy there. I hope that this tough match will prepare me for the rest of the tournament.”

Williams, who has reached the final at Melbourne Park twice, most recently in 2017 when she lost to Serena, will meet Alize Cornet of France next.

  • ‘Struggling’ Azarenka tearful after loss
  • Halep fights back to avoid shock defeat
  • Konta battles through to second round
  • ‘Scary’ Raonic beats injury-hit Kyrgios
  • Djokovic starts record bid with easy victory

Serena still has health concerns

Serena, the 16th seed, took the first set in 18 minutes against Germany’s Maria and fired 22 winners during her opening match.

It was her first Grand Slam match since her rant against umpire Carlos Ramos at last year’s US Open final.

Asked if she had discussed coaching signals with Patrick Mouratoglou after the warning from Ramos that sparked the furore in New York, Williams said: “I literally have no comment.”

The seven-time Australian Open winner, who will face Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard next, wore compression stockings and said she was “definitely still concerned” about the dangers of deep vein thrombosis.

“I have had some issues and they’re not done,” said Williams, who experienced potentially life-threatening blood clots after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia.

“It’s just something I have to do for pretty much probably the rest of my career, we’ll see. But I’m always at the doctor.

“With DVTs, it’s very scary. I know a lot of people – they’re very common – have them. Especially for me, it’s incredibly frightening.

“I lay on the side of precaution as opposed to not.”

Bouchard, a Wimbledon finalist in 2014 and former world number five, said she was excited to play Williams, who she described as the “greatest ever”.

“Her ranking is top-20 right now, but to me she’s always basically number one,” the 24-year-old said.

“I don’t want to talk about it too much and put her on too much of a pedestal because I have to play her in two days, but I love her.”

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Australian Open: Victoria Azarenka 'struggling' but will 'come back stronger' after loss

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2019
Australian Open 2019
Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 14-27 January
Coverage: Daily live commentaries on the BBC Sport website, listen to Tennis Breakfast daily from 07:00 GMT on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and watch highlights on BBC TV and online from 19 January.

A tearful Victoria Azarenka said she will come back stronger following her Australian Open first-round exit.

Azarenka has struggled for form since returning from maternity leave in 2017 and missed last year’s Australian Open because of an ongoing custody dispute.

She lost 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-2 to 110th-ranked Laura Siegemund on Tuesday.

“I’ve been through a lot of things in my life. Sometimes I wonder why I go through them,” Azarenka, a two-time champion in Melbourne, said.

“I think they’re going to make me stronger. I want to believe that and I’m going to work hard for it.

“Right now is just a harder struggle for me. I can continue to repeat this word, that I’m struggling right now. I think it’s pretty obvious.”

  • Britain’s Konta battles into second round
  • Serena into second round after just 49 minutes
  • Follow the Australian Open on BBC TV, radio and online

Former world number one Azarenka returned from maternity leave in June 2017 after giving birth to her son, Leo.

Her appearances and travel were limited in 2018 because of the custody dispute, which Azarenka later said she “wouldn’t wish on anyone”.

She went out in the first round of the WTA tournament in Auckland prior to the Australian Open and is currently 53rd in the rankings.

“Sometimes I just need a little time and patience and a little support,” Azarenka said.

“If there’s a store where you can buy it, I’ll go purchase it.”

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Halep fights back to avoid shock first-round defeat

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2019
Australian Open 2019
Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 14-27 January
Coverage: Daily live commentaries on the BBC Sport website, listen to Tennis Breakfast daily from 07:00 GMT on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and watch highlights on BBC TV and online from 19 January.

Simona Halep avoided becoming the first world number one to suffer back-to-back first-round Grand Slam exits with a gutsy three-set win over Kaia Kanepi at the Australian Open.

The Romanian top seed fought back impressively to beat the Estonian veteran 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-2 in Melbourne.

The fightback was a measure of revenge after Halep was stunned by 71st-ranked Kanepi at the US Open.

Halep, 27, will face American Sofia Kenin in round two.

“After losing against her in the US Open, it was a bit of pressure on my shoulders,” Halep said.

  • ‘Struggling’ Azarenka tearful after loss
  • Konta battles through to second round
  • Williams sisters through in contrasting fashion
  • Djokovic starts record bid with easy victory
  • ‘Scary’ Raonic beats injury-hit Kyrgios

Kanepi’s victory in New York was one of the shocks of the tournament, with fate bringing the pair back together at 2019’s first Grand Slam.

Despite the gulf in their respective rankings, another victory for the Estonian may not have been a complete surprise.

In addition to Kanepi already having the measure of Halep, the reigning French Open champion had not won since August in a five-match losing streak, struggled with a back injury in the final part of last season and split with her coach Darren Cahill in November.

“I said I had no expectations coming here,” said Halep, who could lose the top ranking in Melbourne.

“Just giving my best to find the rhythm, which tonight was a great level of tennis. I feel like I am one step forward.”

And when she went a set and a break down against big-hitting Kanepi, it looked as though it could be another blow for last year’s runner-up.

But Halep bounced back instantly, Kanepi losing her nerve with a double fault on break point, then continued scrapping to eventually level the match by taking her fourth break point in the 10th game.

The final set stayed on serve at 3-2 in Halep’s favour – and then the Romanian struck.

Fighting back from 40-0 down to take Kanepi’s serve proved pivotal, the veteran visibly sapping as a result and winning only two more points as Halep moved into the next round.

“I knew that she’s hitting the ball very strong and it was going to take time to get ahead,” Halep added.

“I didn’t give up, which was really important. I think that’s why I could win the match.”

Seed Kasatkina beaten by world 192

Elsewhere, Daria Kasatkina became the first top-10 women’s seed to fall as she was thrashed 6-3 6-0 by Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky in 55 minutes.

Russian 10th seed Kasatkina coughed up nine double faults and hit just six winners against 192nd-ranked Bacsinszky.

However, fourth seed Naomi Osaka of Japan began her campaign in confident fashion with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Magda Linette.

And sixth seed Elina Svitolina made it safely through with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Viktorija Golubic.

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Djokovic Still Perfect, Opens Australian Open Campaign

  • Posted: Jan 15, 2019

Djokovic Still Perfect, Opens Australian Open Campaign

Powerful Tsonga next for Serbian star

Six-time former champion Novak Djokovic extended his perfect record to 17-0 against qualifiers at major championships on Tuesday night as he began his Australian Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over American Mitchell Kruger for a place in the second round.

World No. 1 Djokovic, who is hoping to capture his 15th Grand Slam championship crown and move ahead of Pete Sampras (14) in the all-time major singles title list, will now challenge France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 finalist, who is returning from left knee surgery last year. Djokovic leads Tsonga 16-6 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

Earlier in the day, Tsonga lost just three of his first-service points (50/53) and struck 23 aces in a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Martin Klizan of Slovakia in two hours and 26 minutes.

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Having lost his first service game in the third game, Djokovic immediately bounced back to dominate baseline rallies and push around Krueger, who was playing just his second major championship match (2018 US Open). Djokovic won five straight games from 3-3 in the first set to 2-0 in the second set, and went on to break for a 4-1 advantage.

Qualifier Krueger, 25, saved break points in his first two service games — including five in the third game — to keep his opponent at bay in the third set. From 1-2 down, Djokovic got fired up, varying his groundstroke speed and placement, often striking to the two-handed backhand of Krueger, to win five straight games. Krueger struck a forehand return into the net to end the encounter, which lasted two hours and three minutes.

The 31-year-old Djokovic is bidding to win a third consecutive Grand Slam title and become the first man in history to record three streaks of three or more consecutive major titles (three straight titles in 2011-12 and four straight in 2015-16.)

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