Tsonga Had A Chance For London

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 30th October 2013

BNP Paribas 2013 Masters Tennis Tournament

Tsonga Had A Chance For London

epa03929240 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France serves the ball to Kei Nishikori of Japan during their second round match at the BNP Paribas 2013 Masters tennis tournament in Paris, France, 29 October 2013. EPA/IAN LANGSDON |

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga became the first of the major competitors to exit the race for the World Tour Finals after trying and failing to play on a wounded knee at the Paris Masters. The Frenchman was beaten in a first-round comeback at the Paris Masters by Japan’s Kei Nishikori and will now have a month or more to get his dodgy knee into shape for 2014.

Tsonga, who has been playing in pain for the past few months after missing almost three months of play with the problem over the summer, admitted that he went into the match with few real hopes of success given his fragile condition.

“I have seen myself be in better shape,” the 28-year-old admitted. “But a few weeks ago, my physio was saying that normally I shouldn’t even be playing here. We even wondered if we would totally stop or if we would continue the season, and I decided to continue this season.”

Tsonga returned to the ATP in mid-September after retiring in a Wimbledon match and got to the Metz final against compatriot Gilles Simon, another regular injury victim. Tsonga then lasted a round at Tokyo before semi-finals in Shanghai and Vienna, where his knee problems were evident by a heavy strapping during his losing match.

Standing provisional ninth with an outside chance at the London year-ender, he and his camp decided to give Paris a try.

“I thought it was better, and I think I’m happy because now I won some points, we decided to go to the end. I went to the end of what I could do, and now I have time to prepare for the next season.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, Atp, Gilles Simon, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Kei Nishikori, Paris Masters, Tennis, Tennis News, Wimbledon

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Nadalchukwu says:

October 30, 2013 at 11:26 am

Eeyah “@10sBalls_com Tsonga Had A Chance For London: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga became the first of the major competitors … http://t.co/DsfgHTBZVr