Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: His backhand, raw-power and charisma keep spectators entertained – Tennis Special
In 2003, the tennis world came to know about the 6ft 1in French player, who defeated Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis at the 2003 US Open Junior and made his professional entry in 2004. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a crossbreed between a Congolese
father and a French mother was born on April 17, 1985. Tsonga had to be out of action from 2004 to 2006 due to injuries. He could only play eight tournaments during this period.
In January 2007, Tsonga’s skills earned him a wildcard entry into the 2007 Australian Open. He competed against American Andy Roddick in the first round, which turned out to be a historic match in its own regards. In the first
set, Tsonga and Roddick entered a tiebreak, which Tsonga won 20-18. Tsonga could not win the match against Roddick and lost 7-6, 6-7, 3-6, 3-6, but at an age of 21, Tsonga proved his worth and the wildcard opportunity which he received.
Tsonga’s first Grand Slam event as an unseeded player was the 2008 Australian Open, where he cruised into the finals. He played against Serbian Novak Djokovic but lost the final 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6. He also participated in the 2009
and 2010 French Open but was knocked-out in the fourth round. 2011 proved to be a successful year for Tsonga as he played the semi-final of the 2011 Wimbledon and the quarterfinal of the 2011 US Open.
In the semi-finals of the 2011 Wimbledon, Tsonga faced Djokovic in one of the most exciting semi-finals in recent times. The crowd in attendance was cheering for the French, who was continuously hitting marvellous shots with precision.
Djokovic was facing the player who had defeated former champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinals and the spectators were anticipating another upset. Tsonga was at his best while playing his forehands, his strongest shot, which earned him valuable points
during the match. The tennis fans in attendance were chanting in Tsonga’s favour at the end of every game but Djokovic came strong in the last two sets and won the Grand Slam. In 2008, Tsonga won his careers first ATP Masters Championship at the 2008 Paris
Masters where he defeated Argentine David Nalbandian, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4.
Tsonga’s playing style is also entertaining where he uses all shots with ease and keeps his opponent on their toes. His serves are thunderous; his use of court space is effective and his backhand and forehand shots are almost impossible
to play. His movement on the court due to his long legs and height gives him an edge over his opponents. In the list of tennis players today, Tsonga is one of those few, who can manage a serve and volley, which means he can speed up to the nets as soon as
he has delivered his serve. His serves reach at a speed of nearly 225 km/h (140 mph) which are his greatest asset, and he utilizes them with ease. Hard courts have been the venue for most of his successful matches. In the ATP division, he has played most of
the final matches on hard courts.
Tsonga's rankings have also increased over the years, which is a testimonial to his accentuating performance. In 2007 he ranked 43rd, in 2008 he moved to the 6th place after his Australian Open final match; and he was at the 10th,
13th and 9th place in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The year 2008 turned out to be Tsonga's most successful year in terms of win/loss ratio and title wins in singles competition. He won 34 matches, lost 15 and won 2 titles. In the doubles category his win/loss ratio was 10/8 and
he earned a men's doubles title as well. In his men's doubles career, he won the 2007 Open Sud de France with his compatriot partner Sebastien Rene Grosjean. In 2007, he won the Sydney International with Richard Gasquet of France. In 2009 he played with French
Marc Gicquel to win the the Brisbane International and in the same year he won the Shangai Masters, where he paired with Frenchman Julien Benneteau.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has the potential to prove his mettle on the court as he has the stamina and the elegance needed for a tennis player to succeed. With an impressive career so far, he certainly can win Grand Slams in the future.
Tags: