2010 Open Sud de France: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Gael Monfils – Match Preview
The French tennis player, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils will play the second semi final match of the day at 2010 Open Sud de France Men’s singles competition on Saturday. Tsonga leads the pair’s head to head encounters by 2-0, triumphing in the past
clashes at the semi final round of PTT Thailand Open in Bangkok back in 2008 and in Tokyo last season.
The 24 year old Monfils, who made his debut on the ATP World Tour back in 2004, is the second highest ranked French player on the tour behind Tsonga and is ranked number 15 in the South Africa Airways ATP list. He is playing in his fifth ATP World Tour semi-final
of the season and stands at 2-2 in the final four.
The professional tennis player from France was also a finalist at Stuttgart back in July this season. Three weeks later, Monfils successfully made his way into the title battle at Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo where he was defeated by the world number one
and top seed, Rafael Nadal in straight sets.
He is attempting to register his name as the fourth French champion on the ATP World Tour this year and joins Gilles Simon, Michael Llodra and Richard Gasquet.
Monfils enters with a win loss mark of 37-17 on the season. He was sidelined for almost two months between March and May as a result of this hand injury. The Trelex resident, who started the year at number thirteen, is now number 15 and has hovered between
12 and 21 all season. He achieved his career high ranking of number nine back in 2009 during the month of March.
The right handed Tsonga on the other hand, who turned professional back in 2004, is the top tennis contender from France on the ATP World Tour. The 25 year old is playing in his third semi final of the year. He had reached the final four round earlier in
2010 at the year’s opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open in Melbourne where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic. Also, at Marseille where the Frenchman was again given a beating by Benneteau back in February.
He captured his last ATP World Tour title at the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo back in 2009 when he got the better of Mikhail Youzhny in the finals. The Gigins resident enters with a win loss mark of 5-1 in the final with his only defeat coming at the Australian
Open in 2008 at the hands of world number three, Novak Djokovic of Serbia. He comes in with a match record of 31-15 on the year.
Tsonga also reached the quarter final rounds in Miami, Barcelona, Rome and Shanghai this season. At the Grand Slam tournaments, he posted his season's best run by making his way into the fourth round at the French Open in Roland Garros where the Frenchman
retired due to his hip injury.
Tsonga, as a result, was sidelined for three months and also skipped the summer hard court circuit. After returning on the tour, the professional tennis player from France competed in Tokyo and couldn’t even win his opening match against Jarkko Nieminen.
He thrashed out Benjamin Becker in the second rubber of the Davis Cup ties this season but retired afterwards due to his ankle injury in the dead rubber versus Simon Greul.
The Le Mans born player achieved his career highest ranking of world number six back in 2008 during the month of November.
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