Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost this Monday in the first round of the Montpellier tournament
More than a year after his last game on the circuit, Manceau was beaten by the American Sebastian Korda.
More than a year after his last match on the circuit, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (66th in the world) missed his return to the courts on Monday, sharply beaten (6-4, 6-2 in 1:12) by the American Sebastian Korda (92nd), in the first round of the Montpellier tournament.
Tsonga, who will be 36 in April, had not played a match on the ATP Tour since his loss in the first round of the Australian Open in January 2020, where he retired against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin because of back pain, even suggesting a possible retirement.
In a game without much relief against the son of a former winner of the Grand Slam tournament, the Czech Petr Korda, the Manceau, lacking sharpness and mobility, was the first to lose his serve, to be led 4-5 and lose the first set 6-4.
In the second set, Tsonga, often overtaken by an opponent of fifteen years his junior, with a sober and more efficient game, lost his serve twice, at 2-2 then 4-2, to let the match slip away.
Pouille expected this Tuesday
While waiting for the return on Tuesday of another seriously injured French tennis player, Lucas Pouille, two other Tricolores were in contention on Monday during this first round: one, Hugo Humbert (32nd), moved to the second round by dominating the Slovak Norbert Gombos (93rd) (6-3, 7-6), the other, Hugo Gaston (162nd), fell, beaten by the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (36th) (6-3, 6-7, 6-1 ).
