Jo-Wilfried Tsonga joins a star-studded line-up due to arrive at the Queen's Club for the Aegon Championships in June. The 2011 runner-up joins Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka in announcing he is set to play.
Tsonga Back At The Queen's Club
World number seven Jo-Wilfried Tsonga becomes the fourth player inside the ATP Tour’s top ten players in signing up for the ATP 500 event at Queen's Club for the Aegon Championships. The Frenchman reached the final in 2011, but missed last year’s event due to an injury suffered at the French Open. The injury meant a lack of match practice on grass before Wimbledon, and it perhaps took its toll, as he exited at the third round stage to big-serving Ivo Karlovic. The 31 year-old will surely be in better position to challenge at the London-based slam this year, a place where he made back-to-back semifinals between 2011 and 2012.
“The grass courts are perfect, we get to play in London in front of all these nice people, and I want to play good tennis there again” said Tsonga speaking directly to the Aegon Championships website.
Tournament director, Stephen Farrow, appeared similarly delighted by Tsonga’s return. Speaking regarding the news, Farrow said;
“Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a fantastic addition to what is becoming one of the strongest player-fields in the history of the Aegon Championships"
He continued by suggesting the ticket-holders will be delighted by hearing the news;
“Over the years, when we have asked our ticket-holders who they most enjoyed watching, Jo has been one of the players at the top of the list".
As well as Murray, Nadal and Wawrinka, Tsonga will be joined at the Queen's club with Milos Raonic and Nick Kyrgios.
2016 Will Be His Sixth Appearance At Queen's
This year’s appearance will be Tsonga’s sixth attempt at winning the title at Queen's, with Murray ending his previous best two showings. His most notable performance came in 2011, when he defeated Nadal in the quarterfinals before going on to lose to Murray in the final, despite clinching the opening set. The Brit was his nemesis in the event two years later, but this time around less, as the pair met in the semifinal. Once again, Tsonga took the lead, but was pegged back before going onto losing in comfortable fashion.
His last appearance came back in 2014, where he was beaten in the third round by Australian Marinko Matosevic, in a disappointing straight-sets loss. He has never been defeated before the third round of the main draw, although he has fell at this stage on two other occasions (2007 and 2012).
Showed Strong Form In Monte Carlo
Tsonga hasn’t showed his best form in 2016 so far, and is yet to reach a final with two semifinal finishes his best attempts.
One of the occasions where he reached the last four was last week in Monte-Carlo, where it took fellow-Frenchman Gael Monfils to end his run after he defeated the returning Roger Federer in a tight three-set battle. His one-sided defeat to Monfils may be concerning for fans of Tsonga, but it was a welcome return to form after a slight blip in Miami, after losing in the last eight to Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells.
His other semifinal showing came in Auckland at the start of the year, where eventual champion Roberto Bautista Agut got the better of him in a three set battle.