Australian Open 2014: Tsonga profits from rare outdoor-indoor switch
Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga profited from a rare switch from outdoor to indoor conditions because of severe heat Thursday as he powered into the Australian Open`s third round.
|Last Updated: Jan 16, 2014, 12:52 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Melbourne: Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga profited from a rare switch from outdoor to indoor conditions because of severe heat Thursday as he powered into the Australian Open`s third round.
With temperatures hitting 42 Celsius (107 Fahrenheit), organisers brought the tournament`s extreme heat policy into effect after the first set, closing the Hisense Arena roof.
Tenth seed Tsonga, who needed a tiebreaker to win the opening set, proceeded to breeze past Bellucci in straight sets, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-4 and into the last 32 at the Grand Slam.
Tsonga said he was fortunate to have the benefit of indoor conditions, favouring his big serve, for the last two sets of his match with Bellucci.
"I think it was an advantage for me to play in these conditions," Tsonga said. "It was great for me but not for my opponent.
"He played qualies (qualifying) and he had a tough match two days ago, while I just played one match and that`s it. It makes a difference."
Tsonga broke the Brazilian`s service three times, fired 14 aces and only dropped his own serve once in the two-hour, 15-minute match.
The mercurial Frenchman hit 47 winners, while Bellucci`s errors outnumbered his winning shots.
"It`s always difficult to play a guy who is used to playing from baseline, and after a few games he came to the net every point and tried to win the point in two shots," Tsonga said.
"It was good for me that he played like this, because it`s not his game, and it made it a little bit easier for me to win the match."
Tsonga came into the Open on the back of a Hopman Cup victory with Alize Cornet over the Polish pair of Agnieszka Radwanska and Grzegorz Panfil in Perth.
Tsonga`s ranking has slipped to 10th after an injury-plagued 2013, when knee problems forced him to retire in the second round at Wimbledon and miss the US Open.
The Frenchman, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2008 final, will next face either compatriot and 18th seed Gilles Simon or Croatia`s Marin Cilic.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.