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ROGERS CUP MEN

August 10, 2011

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

J. TSONGA/B. Tomic
6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Your first win against Federer in your career was here two years ago. How important a match was that for you? Is he not as intimidating as he once was now that you've beaten him a couple of times?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Anyway, it's still the best player ever for me. So it's still tough to play against him. And I think the win I had in the past, you know, they will help me, of course. But like when I lost against him, because I lost many times, I think all these matches will help me a lot.

Q. Do you prefer to play him in a best-of-five set match or best-of-three when you're up against a player of his caliber?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: I really don't know (laughter). I really don't know because when he play in best-of-three, he's really relaxed. And when you play in two sets, he's playing really fast. If you should get the break at the first game, if you lose your serve, it's bad.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Apart from a tough moment at 5-4, you played a more complete match than yesterday.
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yes. I was very calm when I was serving. I was moving well. It was better than the last evening.

Q. How is your ear?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: It's fine. It's getting better and better. This morning it was almost gone. I hope I will have nothing for tomorrow.

Q. In the two tiebreakers you only lost two points. Does this mean that you are very solid?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yes, it means I'm very solid and I'm playing well. But each day is different. We'll see what happens next.

Q. I saw you twice chip and charge. This is typical from an attacking game. Is this what you want to do now?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: It was always part of my game. I always try to provoke things and to take my chances. I did that once or twice at a crucial moment, for example, when I was up on his serve.

Q. Next will be Federer. What are your feelings about that?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: This makes you come down to earth again and you have to face reality suddenly. Even if I beat him in Wimbledon, that doesn't mean I will be able to beat him all the time. He's still the best player of all time.
I have my chances, but it's going to be difficult, of course.

Q. Here you're playing on hard courts. It's different. Do you have to change tactics?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yes, I will have to make some adjustments. One thing I know is I shouldn't let him dictate, otherwise I will have lost that match before going on the court. So it's going to be a different match.
Here it's best-of-three. In Wimbledon, I would have lost badly in two sets if it had been the same. So the conditions are different.

Q. He's 30. He's old.
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Please don't say that, I'm 26 (laughter). He's still alive, otherwise he wouldn't be here.

Q. Did your victory in Wimbledon change something for you more than any other victories?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: It was great. Centre Court, a quarterfinal against the champion. It gave me confidence. It showed me I was on the right track, that I was playing better and better.

Q. Your former match against him, is it going to be useful for playing this one?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: No. As for the Wimbledon match, this belongs to the past. Every time you play against an opponent, of course it is useful because you learn more things about his game. But that win has not taught me anything more than when I lose against him.

Q. You beat Nadal in 2008 in the Australian Open. What is the difference between those two big wins?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Well, they are different because against Nadal I was dominating and in control of the match all along, and Nadal couldn't do anything, whereas against Federer I was never totally in control. Just took my chances, and it was best-of-five, so it's different. Against Nadal I was feeling I was playing on a cloud.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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