home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

AUSTRALIAN OPEN


January 21, 2012


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga


MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

J. TSONGA/F. Gil
6‑2, 6‑2, 6‑2


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  You're playing very well today.  Are you gaining more confidence with each round?  How do you feel this year compared to previous years?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  You know, every year and every tournament it's a bit same story for me.  I play better and better every match.
Yeah, today I played well and didn't spend a lot of time on court, and it's good for the rest of the tournament.  Anyway, I'm confident, yeah.

Q.  And after the match, you mentioned that you had been worked with Agassi last year.
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  No, no.  Last year I went to Las Vegas have to some practice with the adidas team and he was there.  He give me some advice.  We talk together.
But it was just an answer to the guy on the court who asked me why I don't have coach and how I do.  It was just an example.

Q.  Do you find it different at a Grand Slam without a coach, working on your own?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  I mean, it's not the first one, so I feel, you know, good.  I'm okay.  (Smiling.  I don't know, you can improve your game by yourself also.  It's not since I'm kid I have a coach, and I improve a lot.
I'm here maybe because I had coach, but now I feel like I have to follow my opinion maybe a bit more.

Q.  Do you plan to continue without a coach for a long time then?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  Yeah.  I don't know.  We'll see.  (Smiling.)
If I still improve my game, you know, why I have to change?

Q.  And in the third set you were winning quite comfortably and seemed to get annoyed with yourself, were talking to yourself.  What were you unhappy about?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  You know, sometime you miss ball and you're unhappy of this.  Sometimes I sing on the court, so you think I'm talking, but I'm just singing.  It give me the concentration.

Q.  Do you have somebody watching the match involving your next opponent?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  No, but I will do it.

Q.  You will do that?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  Yeah.

Q.  You're one of 13 French players in action today.  Is there lots of support amongst you all?  Do you try to watch each other's matches?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  Yeah, of course.  Of course.  Of course we play together in Davis Cup.  And anyway we have a good relationship.
Yeah, we support each other.

Q.  Do you train together as well, try and help each other improve?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  Yeah, sometime we train together, we play together.  I live not far from Gaël Monfils, and sometimes, yeah, we will practice a lot together.

Q.  How do you think Michael Llodra will do against Andy Murray this evening?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  I don't know, we will see.  But anyway we will see.  He's got a good game, very offensive.  We'll see how Andy will play against him.

Q.  Is Llodra as crazy as people say he is?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  Who say that?

Q.  Players.
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  The players?  Yeah, I don't know if you can say crazy or funny, you know, but anyway, it's good to be with him.  There is all the time something happen.

Q.  Was Mansour Bahrami watching your match today?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  Yeah.

Q.  Was he giving you tips here?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  I mean sure he's here since three or four years.

Q.  But is he helping you?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  Yeah, he support me.  (Smiling.)  I think it's enough.  But anyway, he learn me some tricks, but not to win.  (Smiling.)

Q.  Do you think that the top three players have an advantage because they don't have a home Grand Slam?  The last guy to win a home Grand Slam was Andy Roddick in 2003.  Obviously a lot of French guys in the draw.  How do you see that?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  I don't know.  Yeah, maybe.  Maybe because of the statistic, but, you know, I don't know.

Q.  Personally, your best record at slams is here, but your worst record is at your home slam.  Is there a pressure issue do you think?
JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA:  No.  I think it's not about pressure.  I didn't have a lot of‑‑ I was a bit unlucky in Roland Garros.  I had injury two years ago.  Last year I played well.  I played really well, but my opponent played an incredible match.
But, no, I think maybe in the future I will play well in Roland Garros.  There is no reason I cannot play well there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297