Match report

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga © Tennistalk.com
ATP Masters Series Madrid
3rd round
10/16/08 1 2 Tot
fr  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4 1 0
ch  Roger Federer 6 6 2
Roger Federer © Tennistalk.com

  • Heavyweight Federer deflates "Ali" Tsonga

    10/17/08 11:40 AM | David Cox
    The boxing comparisons were out in force yesterday as Roger Federer faced Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a man with an uncanny resemblance to Muhammed Ali. However, after absorbing early pressure it was the Swiss who landed the knockout blow.

    It was expected to produce plenty of fireworks and in the super-fast Madrid conditions things were short and sharp early on. Tsonga had two break points but couldn't convert. As always,the Frenchman's serving was huge but when it came to taking the initiative from the back of the court it was Federer who looked more comfortable and started ratcheting up the pressure. Serving at 4-5 in the first set, Tsonga cracked, throwing in three double-faults, including one on set point.

    As Federer said, “In these conditions, you're looking for the knockout punch, like in boxing.”

    The second set was disappointingly one-sided; Federer was supreme, striking 23 winners in all on the way to his 6-4, 6-1 win. Tsonga seemed to lack fight and real belief out there once Federer began to read his serve, seeming to be a little short of ideas.

    Federer was also surprised at how easily his opponent folded in the second set, “It is the first time I've played him and I had expected it to be much harder. He's hard to read, you don't know where he's going to serve, how he's going to play and so I played carefully at the start. I'm very happy to win in straight sets.”

    The subject of Federer's new prize money record came up again in the press conference and ever-conscious of tennis history, the Swiss took the opportunity to pay tribute to those who brought about professional tennis.

    “I guess this is the moment when you can thank the all-time greats from back in the day when it was still amateur to have brought the game to where it is today. They have created the platform for us players today. I didn't play tennis because of money, that was never my drive but I've had an incredible run in slams that racks up the money and also in the Masters Cup.”

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