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WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2011

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

LONDON, ENGLAND

N. DJOKOVIC/J. Tsonga
7-6, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you summarize how you played today? Good, bad or just awful?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: No, today I played well. Played well; my opponent was just better than me today.
I tried to take my chance on every points, but was just tough because he was running everywhere and the ball was all the time -- I saw the ball all the time come back. It was tough.

Q. Were you tired going into this game? Did you feel tired?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, of course. Of course, I'm tired. I feel tired after this match. Before was okay. But now I be tired. Yeah, that's it.

Q. What was the main difference today from the match against Federer?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: I think today I played well. I can beat everybody today, but not Djokovic, because he just played unbelievable. He was everywhere. He returns unbelievable all the time on his baseline, so is tough. That's it.

Q. You seemed to throw everything at him today. What do you think it will take for either Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal to stop Djokovic in the final?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: What they need?

Q. Yes.
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: They need to run more than him and faster. So is difficult.
But, anyway, you never know. Every day is different. Maybe today he played well; maybe the next day he will play better or not. In sport you don't know. You don't know what's happen tomorrow.

Q. This win takes Novak to No. 1 in the world rankings. Do you now regard him as the best tennis player in the world based on that performance?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: I think since the beginning of the year, yes. He beat every player maybe twice or three times, I don't know.
But, yeah, I think he's the best player in the world for the moment. He won the Australian Open. He did like semis in Roland Garros or quarterfinal. Semis? And now he's in final. So he's maybe the best.

Q. You had some incredible points today. Which point to you was the most sensational play that you made?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: I don't know. Maybe the backhand at the end. Nobody saw this one, but I did a good backhand, and it's not often, so was good (smiling).
No, I did many. I don't remember everything. Maybe I will watch my match against Djokovic on DVD and then I will come back to tell you.

Q. You said the other day that you were dissatisfied with playing around the top 10, that you were improving your game. What are the next steps for you to push your way further up the rankings?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Now I have to continue in this way, you know, because nothing is established. Yeah, I have to continue in this way and maybe it will pay after.
For the moment I play well. This is the first tournament I play like this. I hope I will play the same level or better in the future.

Q. You once said you felt you were made to play big matches at the most important arenas. What happens to you in these big matches? Do you feel more free? Do you go for your shots more?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: No, you know, when you play there you feel like you are not a real tennis player, but you feel like you're - I don't know - one of the best, even if you are not. So you try to play like the best player in the world.
This is maybe why my level go up when I go on these courts.

Q. At the start of this tournament, many people were talking about the strength of the top four seeds. What for you is the next step, and do you see yourself joining the top four or five players in the world?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: I hope, you know. This is one of my goal. I was 6 in the world already. Of course if I can reach the top five, I will do it.
But for the moment I'm 19 or something like this. I have to improve a lot to be there. I will continue in this way and just try to play my best tennis on the court. Maybe will continue if I continue to play like this.

Q. You've caught the hearts and minds of the Wimbledon crowd here. To what extent do you feel that's helped your game this tournament?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: I don't have any problem with all the crowds, so it's every time the same thing. If you give to them, they give to you. I try to give everything on my match. I try to fight, and then they support me.

Q. Today you were out there against Novak; you played Roger recently; you've played Nadal also. If you had to say, who is the best?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: This is a difficult question because, you know, in tennis, like I said, you don't know what's happen tomorrow.
Maybe Roger dominate the tour for many years; Rafa won hundred Roland Garros; and Novak is all the time in semis and final. He's everywhere. So is difficult to say who is the best.
But, you know, on grass I prefer maybe play Rafa. On clay nobody (smiling). No, you know, it's too difficult to say.

Q. And on hard court?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Hard court the same. They are all good. No, they are just big champion, and that's it. Every week is different. One week it's Roger, one week it's Novak, and one week it's Rafa. You never know.

Q. What is it you enjoy particularly about the grass-court game?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Maybe you can dive. Yeah, because this is the only surface you can really dive, because on the others, if you dive you go directly to the hospital. So this is good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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