China Open 2011 Interviews (10/7) [Part 2] – Ljubicic, Tsonga

Written by: Staff on 7th October 2011

China Open 2011 Interviews (10/7) [Part 2] - Ljubicic, Tsonga

France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga returns the ball to Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero at their match in the China Open Tennis tournament in Beijing, China 07 October 2011. Tsonga won 6-3, 6-4. EPA/ADRIAN BRADSHAW |

2011 CHINA OPEN INTERVIEWS
[The latest new interviews from Ljubicic and Tsonga below. Read their thoughts on matches and turnouts]

I. LJUBICIC/M. Youzhny

7‑6, 6‑7, 6‑2

An interview with:

IVAN LJUBICIC

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations on the win.

IVAN LJUBICIC: Thank you.

Q. That was quite a grueling contest, three sets. Give us your thoughts about the way things went out there? And does this sort of take it out of you a little more for the rest of the competition?

IVAN LJUBICIC: Well, it has taken out of me a lot, not a little more. But, you know, you just go out there and do whatever it takes to win. You don’t really think if you spend too much energy or not. I mean, you really have to do whatever it takes.

I felt like if I was feeling the ball a little bit better today I could have won much it more easier, because I felt he was struggling from the beginning. But my shots just were not there, and I had to end up just pushing the ball in and running and trying to make him miss as much as possible. That was the only thing I could do for basically set and a half, too.

In the third I kind of let it go a little bit more and tried to take initiative in the rallies here and there. Not too much, but just kind of to change the rhythm a little bit. I guess he was tired as well in the third set, and it worked out well for me.

Q. In all your nine meetings against Mr. Youzhny, you lead 8‑1. What do you think are the reasons?

IVAN LJUBICIC: Well, obviously I’m playing better than him. (Laughter.) No, but sometimes you have ‑‑ I mean, this was a joke, the first part.

Sometimes you have players that suit you quite well, and sometimes you have those that you don’t like at all. For some reason, Mikhail obviously doesn’t like to play me and this is the scoreline.

But we had some tough battles, so the scoreline could have been different, you know, with just couple points here and there. But the fact is that it is 8‑1 for me.

And, you know, I guess I could see it from the beginning that he was not sure how to play against me, and that plays in my advantage from the beginning a little bit. I’m definitely every time when I play him trying to take advantage out of it.

Q. (Through translation.) First of all, I would like to extend my congratulations on your win. As a veteran on the tour, you have participated in many big tournaments, and particularly the Grand Slam competitions. What do you think is the major difference between those big tournaments like a Grand Slam from China Open?

IVAN LJUBICIC: Well, the main difference is that it’s a Grand Slam and this is not. Facility‑wise, this is big. There are a lot of courts, and the facilities are here to be a bigger tournament.

The fact is that we have very limited number of big tournaments that it’s very difficult to be one of. I’m sure that the China Open Beijing would love to have bigger tournament like Masters 1000 or hopefully bigger than that.

But it’s really schedule‑wise difficult to become part of it once you’re not, you know. But I really appreciate the fact that Beijing and China Open are trying as much as they can to make us feel like it is a bigger tournament than it actually is.

Q. I believe that you’ve been to China many times. Have you noticed that the girls of tennis sport in China, like the popularity among the spectators and maybe the girls, the level of Chinese tennis players as well? And do you have any suggestions for like organizations organizing tennis matches in tennis, like China Open?

IVAN LJUBICIC: Well, first of all, honestly, the number in spectators, I would love to see that it’s bigger. You know, unfortunately often here we play in front of nobody, which is not really nice. But that’s the way it is.

I’m really unsure, and I cannot give you any advices what is needed to be done in order to make it different. It’s really, really difficult question.

But I guess if we have these big tournaments in China, like we had Masters Cup in Shanghai and now it’s Masters 1000 in Shanghai and 500 here in Beijing, there is definitely need for this kind of big tournaments here in China.

Again, I really would like to see more people watching matches. As I said, here we have two huge stadium plus the Moon Court, which is also another big court. So there is the room for a lot of people to come here. Unfortunately that’s not the case. But I really hope it’s going to be different in the future.

Regarding Chinese players, I think that women’s tennis is, of course, as good as any other country. I mean, Li Na won French Open, played the final of Australian Open, and there are a lot other good female players.

On the main side of course it takes a little bit longer. There is some talent. I saw Zhang who I played last in Shanghai who gave me a lot of trouble, I feel he’s a talent. But the difference between being a talent and being a great player, it’s quite big.

So there is really need to put a lot work in there, and hopefully Chinese tennis will get a male player, I mean, world class level, very, very soon. That would definitely help to increase the popularity of the sport in China.

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J. TSONGA/J. Ferrero

6‑3, 6‑4

An interview with:

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations. Looked like pretty smooth sailing out there. Give us your thoughts on the match and where we go into the weekend.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: You know, today I just played well. I’m surprised to have played like this. That was just amazing. Everything was working. I’m just very happy to go through this round, because it’s never easy to play against this guy.

So I’m really happy. It’s good for tomorrow because I didn’t play, you know, a long time. Tomorrow will be exciting for sure. It’s going to be another match. (Smiling.) We have a lot to win tomorrow, you know. Both of us have to win tomorrow to be safe for the Masters.

So of course it will be exciting, and both of us will play our best tennis to win this match I think, and I think it’s going to be a good match.

Q. (Through translation.) Andy Murray and Rafa Nadal went to Tokyo to play the tournament; you came to China to play the China Open. What do you think most attracted you here?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Can you repeat, please?

Q. Andy Murray and Rafa Nadal went to Tokyo to play the tournament there, and you came to play China Open. What aspect do you think was it that most attracted you to play in Beijing?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: (Smiling.) Oh, you know, Novak was supposed to play here. It’s quite the same. I think this year the China Open is not really lucky because they all pull out.

But, no, I think it’s the same tournament. Both of these tournament are 500 points, and I think it’s exactly the same. No, for me it’s just about luck.

(Smiling.) Liar.

Q. You beat Roger Federer twice in the past few months, one in Wimbledon and the other is in Rogers Cup. Tonight, you beat Ferrero. How is your feeling in these three matches? What’s different?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: What is the difference between Federer and Ferrero?

Q. Between these three matches.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: (Smiling.) I just know there is a point in common because I won these three match, but I don’t know about the difference.

Anyway, it’s a different player. Roger was No. 1 in the world for six or seven years and he won many, many Grand Slam.

Juan Carlos won only ‑‑ no, I cannot say only won one or two, I don’t remember. But anyway, both of us are champion, you know, and they have the good attitude on the court and they made a lot for tennis.

But I don’t know, I cannot ‑‑ I don’t know what to say about difference.

Q. Can I ask another question? Compared with before, it was Roger, Rafa, Novak, and Andy, so what’s your strength and what’s your weakness? Please tell us what was your strengths and weakness.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Oh, I think they’re maybe physically and mentally stronger than the others. It’s not about, you know, play forehand or play backhand. We all can play a forehand and a backhand.

But on important points, they are here because physically they are really strong, really quick, and they seem that they’re never scared, you know. That’s why I think they are as good.

Q. (Through translation.) What’s your impression on the new stadium, the Diamond?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Oh, it’s just amazing. It’s just amazing. I think I want to see the stadium full, you know, because it’s really impressive. Yeah, that’s it. I think it’s really, the site is huge for a 500 tournament. No, it’s really good.

Q. What’s the major difference between China Open and the other big tournaments, like the Grand Slam?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Only the title. (Smiling.)

Q. Just staying on this note, Ljubicic said here has all the big stadiums, has the feel of a big tournament, yet it’s moderately small, as the competitions go. What can do you think can be done then maybe by the ATP and the organizers here to elevate the game to attract and make sure that it’s a kind of must‑visit by top stars like yourself?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: How promoted this?

Q. How to make the Beijing Open a bigger draw for the players going forward given that it has the big stadium and the big‑tournament feel, yet it’s still new, perhaps.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: I don’t know. It’s tough. It’s tough, because ‑‑ it’s difficult because there is ‑‑ you know, there is Grand Slam, there is 1000 tournament, 500.

We play a lot, and of course it’s difficult to put, you know, more tournament. So we can’t put, you know, like 15 1000 tournament. For us it’s difficult. So I think for us it’s like this for the moment.

And the time, you know, can help some tournament like this, and that’s it.