His final passage on the Monaco Rock did not last long. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, swept away in the first round of the Monte-Carlo tournament, only stayed a little over an hour on the clay court. Rolled (6-2, 6-2) by the Croatian Marin Cilic, the Manceau has only three tournaments to show before hanging up his rackets.
“Unfortunately, I would have preferred to be a bit more competitive, but Marin played very well. He was aggressive right away, I didn’t expect to have such a good player on the court today, even though he won a Grand Slam tournament (the US Open in 2014) and did things extraordinary,” commented the Frenchman.
“It’s a great moment to share a short with Jo, he is a great source of inspiration, he has been a model for many years, replied Cilic. I wish him the best until Roland-Garros and I hope he will receive the farewell he deserves. »
Last Wednesday, the 36-year-old Manceau announced that he wanted to retire after the next Roland-Garros, which will start on May 22. “It will be my 15th Roland and I hope that by then I will stay in good shape and be able to be who I have always been,” he said in a video posted on the networks. social.
More than three tournaments
“I want to do Tsonga”, he added Sunday at a press conference, which expresses his desire not to let go, while having fun. Faced with the world No. 22, who is “only” 33 years old, the 2008 Australian Open finalist was far from his level, a little overwhelmed by events and… by his opponent’s bullets , conceding his service in a sparsely stocked Central.
Since his return after a long absence at the end of 2021, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has won only two small matches, including one against Gilles Simon, 37, at the Open 13 in Marseille. He now only has three competitions left to try to finish in style. His next outing will take place at the challenger in Aix en Provence, from May 2 to 8.
This Tuesday will see the entry into the running of Novak Djokovic, against the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Also expected are the French Ugo Humbert and Benoît Paire, who will compete in the first round.
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