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5/23/10 11:49 PM | Ricky Dimon
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga needs five sets to reach the Roland Garros second round on Sunday. Tsonga just barely manages to set up an all-French showdown with Josselin Ouanna.
France almost lost its biggest star on the first day of the French Open.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outlasted Daniel Brands 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(2), 7-5 in thee hours and 43 minutes on Sunday afternoon to reach the Roland Garros second round. Tsonga took the underdog German's best shot and survived to ensure an all-French showdown with Josselin Ouanna.
Brands sent an immediate message to both Tsonga and the fans that he was not going to go away quietly against France's top-ranked player. The world No. 89 broke serve in a marathon game at 1-1 and consolidated the advantage throughout the rest of the first set. Brands fought off two break points at 5-4 and finally held for the set with a forehand winner.
Tsonga, however, seemed to take complete control in sets two and three. The tournament's No. 8 seed earned his first break of the day at 2-1 in the second and he served it out from there to even the match. A crucial third set began with three straight breaks as the crowd favorite seized a 2-1 lead. Tsonga soon extended the margin to 4-1 before surviving a five-deuce game at 5-2 to take the set.
Seemingly down and out, Brands stormed back against the odds. The fourth set featured huge serving from both men and neither player got a look at a single break point. In fact, not even one game went to deuce until Tsonga thwarted a close call at 5-6 to force a tiebreaker. It turned out to be a 'breaker dominated by Brands, who won the last six points to ease his way into a fifth and final set.
The 22-year-old showed real signs of being able to pull off a shocking upset when he broke for a 2-1 lead in the fifth. At that point, however, Tsonga's big-match experience seemed to make the difference. The world No. 10 broke back for 2-2 and he never came close to dropping serve the rest of the way. Brands saved one match point at 4-5 with a huge forehand, but the pressure of serving to stay in the tournament again at 5-6 proved to be too much. Tsonga capitalized on his third match-point opportunity when his opponent sent a backhand past the baseline.
"I played for a long time but I still have two days to recuperate," said a relieved Tsonga. "The fact I stayed long on the court could be a good thing because I hit many balls. I am not worried."
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daniel brands can improve a lot....i thought he could win it in the end..
vrael , 5/24/10 8:27 AM
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For much of that match it looked as though the RG jinx was going to descend on Tsonga. Brand put in an amazing performance and showed nerves of steel - definitely somebody to watch in the future.
ed251137 , 5/24/10 7:47 AM