J. TSONGA/C. Rochus

6-2, 6-2, 6-2

An interview with:

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. I want to know your opinion about Juan Martin Del Potro.

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: He's a very good player. He improve his tennis a lot last
months, and,yeah, I know it's going to be difficult. I will prepare this
match with a lot of motivation, and that's it.

Q. Del Potro said you will be the favorite because you are playing here
inyour country. Do you think the same?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: No, I feel nothing. For me it's going to be a new match,
and weplay together last time at the Masters, and he won. It's going to be a
new match, and I will seehow I can do to beat him, but I think there is no
favorite.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. That'san easy victory, but you made it even more easy, because you
prepared verywell.

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Yes, this is a match I startedvery well. I was on the
court. I walked on the court, and I wanted toprevent him from playing his
game, so I tried to hit long, deep shots and toplay high enough for him to be
unable to play his game, and it worked.

Q. From the outside, we had the feeling that there was a giant out
thereagainst a small player - not small in terms of talent, but small in
termsof size, because of that wind, in this huge court. We had the feeling
that you were boxing intwo different categories, if I may say so.

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Well, yes, I had the feelingthat I was more powerful than
he was, that I had more weapons in myracquet. It's true, also, that Iremained
very focused during the entire match, and this is why it's such aharsh
result. But I played far betterthan he did on this match, I think.

Q. Could you tell us about how you prepared for your season on clay? I think
you started in April in Switzerland. What did you do to prepare? Didn't you
sort of prepare more than playmatches to win matches?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Yes, of course I focused on mypreparation. This is what
I've beensaying since the beginning of this tournament, and for three or four
weeks,I've been saying that was important for me this season was Roland
Garros.

The rest, I don't careif I may say so. I wanted to be fit,because Grand Slams
are another thing altogether, so I wanted to be fit. I wanted to have a lot
of tennis behind me,because, you know, when you play a match, you don't play
for two or three hoursafterwards, whereas when I practiced to prepare, I
sometimes played for four orfive hours in a row, sliding on the court,
hitting my balls.

I think I did prepare the right way for aSlam tournament. I didn't play much
inmatches, so I'm hungry now. As I saidlast week and the weeks before, I'm
not here to be an accountant and count thenumber of matches and tournaments,
I'm here to do something great, to achievesomething great and to reach out to
people.

Q. Didyou also spend time just in the gym for an entire day, for instance?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: I'm not going to tell youexactly what I did. I mean -
butyes, I did work. I played tennis alot. I also practiced a lot in thegym.
So yes, I worked pretty hard overthe last weeks, and this is why I was not
worried about my results, becausethere were days I was a bit tired and I
thought, well, that's not a bigdeal. I know what the objective is, andthis is
what I'm preparing for.

Q. And did you have big practice sessions just before or after a match?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Yes, I sometimes did things inthe gym, running, cycling,
after a match, yes.

Q. And winning a match that quickly, that rapidly, how do you feel today?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Well, I feel pretty good. It wasn't a long match, so it's
verygood. I took my landmarks on the court,which is good, and I'm still very
sharp from a physical standpoint. This is something I'm going to use for
thenext round.

Q. Your next opponent is Del Potro. You played him during the Masters. Now
you're playing on clay and at home. What do you think about this match?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Well, as I said, it's true it'san advantage for me to play
here with support of the crowd, but Juan Martin hadfar better results than
I've had lately, so I know that he is going to be avery tough opponent. It's
going to be adifficult fight, and I'm going to prepare for that.

Q. And the key will be?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Well, the key is me, because heis very steady and regular.
He has atennis game which I know. We know hisshots. And as for me, well, it's
goingto be a surprise. I think I'll try andprevent him from developing his
game.

Q. So it means dropshots, a bit like you played in Monaco?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Yes, maybe. Not necessarily. A bit of everything.

Q. As you made a choice to take a lot of time to prepare and you didn'tplay
many matches, did you doubt you would lack confidence here?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Yes, of course. I mean, at one stage I sort of wondered if
Ihad made the right choice, but I never doubted. I said to myself, Okay, you
made this decision. Stick to it. If it doesn't work, do something else or
something different next year,but for this year, this is the decision I made.
And when Eric came and saw me and he said, It could be good if youplayed
another tournament. I said, No,listen, this is what I decided and I want to
stick to it.

Q. After which tournament? After Rome?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Yes, Rome.

Q. You also said you wanted to find your landmarks, bearings on thecourt. We
get the feeling that you tamethe central court very easily, and that made it
even more obvious, thedifference between Rochus and yourself. He seemed at
sea on this court. You seemed pretty much at home.

JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: I don't know if he already played on thiscourt, but the
first time you walk on that court, you feel it. It really is big. You need to
have your landmarks, bearings onthe court. You have to do that to adaptyour
serve and if there is wind, you know, you need to be able to control theballs.

It's true I've playedquite a few times on this court, and it's true it was an
asset for me withregards to opponents who have never played to know.

Q. And do you like this court?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Yes, I do like this court, but Ithink I like them all now,
and that's good.

Q. Today would you say you're in the second week, so objective reached,
orwould you say, Well, I can do even better?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: Would one of you guys like toanswer this question?

Well, no, I'm neversatisfied, as I said before the tournament started. When
some people thought I would never beable to have such results on clay, many
people asked me that question. They said, What's your objective? What would
be good for you? Would you be satisfied reaching the round of16,
quarterfinals? And I think, well,why not the final? That would be good.

So I do my best, and then I'll see whathappens.

Q. Whenyou reach the second week, is it a second tournament that starts?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: No, it's the same tournamentthat continues, and all the
matches you've played before do matter. Because the less time you've spent on
thecourts, the fittest you are for the second week, but it's still the
sametournament.

Q. For those people who were skeptical about your ability to play on
clay,isn't it something that you use to get extra motivation?

JO-WILFRIEDTSONGA: No, not necessarily, because Idon't need that to find
motivation. Iplay for me, for myself and myself alone. But over the last few
years, I heard people saying he can't do it. So yes, of course. I mean, it
does affect me and I feel whyshould they say so? I mean, there's noreason. So
I want to prove to everyonethat I can do it.