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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIP

June 19, 2017

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

London, England

J. TSONGA/A. Mannarino

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How important was that win for you today after what happened at Roland Garros?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, for me it was really important to have a victory. On clay it was difficult. I didn't play really well in Roland Garros, and I was kind of on my first match, so always good to win. Good it play, also, because I didn't play since a while now. So it's good to be back and be able to play second round in Queen's.

Q. Can you give us an idea what you have been doing between now and Paris? Have you been training or taking time off?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, I took some time off, and I practiced a lot. Yeah, I had good sense to have a grass court at my house, so I just practice and prepare this grass season, which is a good surface for me. Hopefully I will be able to do something good.

Q. You have never won more titles in a year than you have already this season. Are you feeling in a good place coming into the grass now, despite that kind of early loss at the French? Do you think you could be a contender here?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah. Usually I'm better in the second part of the season, so hoping to do the same. That's the best start of the season for me, and hopefully we will be able to continue like this.

But anyway, the most important thing is to take pleasure on court, and when I'm like this, I'm able to do some good things. Yeah, really happy to be here in London, to play on grass.

Q. Looking ahead to Wimbledon, who do you see as the big favorite to win there?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: There is a few guys who are able to do it, who did it in the past. Everybody knows who they are. But they have also some other guys who are able to play well. I think of course about Stan, about the young players like Thiem, Kyrgios, Zverev, and all of those.

No, I think it's going to be really open, exciting, and it's going to be a good Wimbledon.

Q. Can I ask you about Andy Murray? He's not had a good year so far until Roland Garros. Do you think he'll be in good shape here and at Wimbledon?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Andy is a champion, and I'm sure -- he already tried to win at Roland Garros. If he's back, I'm sure we can count on him for the next few weeks.

Q. Looking at Novak Djokovic considering playing the week before Wimbledon, that's something you did at the French Open. It's not that common among the top players to play the week just before a slam, and you went out in the first round, and...
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, there is no rules. Sometimes you play; sometimes you don't play. Depends, you know, how you want to arrive on the tournament. You know, sometimes it's important to have some matches before, to get used to the surface and be ready.

So those guys are physically, you know, really fit. I'm sure they are able to play back to back these kind of things.

Q. You had a very interesting slip against Mannarino today. One, I hope you didn't do any damage, but two, is that just what happens when players change from clay to grass? Just something you have to get used to?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Oh, you know, in Roland Garros, I was really close to (indiscernible), but I came from Lyon, I played the tournament before. I don't know what happened exactly on the first round. I still analyze these things.

But anyway, you know, I'm feeling good, so on my side, you know, there is no problem. I'm able to compete with the best guys.

Q. You play in very hot conditions all over the world. Was this just about a normal today, or did you feel pretty hot out there?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Today was really warm. I wish we can have always this kind of weather in London. Sometimes complicate with rain, so I think we are all pretty happy, I think, to have sun and warm weather.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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