Jo-Wilfied Tsonga won 90% of his first serve points en route to his 6-4 6-4 win over Polish qualifer Kacper Zuk in his first match of the 2022 season at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier.
The Frenchman has scored his second win since 2019. He played just two matches in 2020 due to the pandemic and a back injury and won just 1 of his 9 matches in 2021, but he has not played since Wimbledon due to a right leg injury. Tsonga earned a break in the final game of each set.
Tsonga earned an early break in the opening set, but Zuk pulled back on serve from 0-40 down. Tsonga won the final five points of the first set to break serve from 40-0 down in the 10th game.
The second set went on serve until the 10th game, when Tsonga earned the crucial break on his third match point.
“It’s just amazing for me to be here on the court playing. I had a few difficult months and to win like this for one of the first matches of the year, it’s just fantastic for me. You cannot do it without the people around you. I have the chance to have very good people around me, and it gave me the opportunity to live some moments like this”, said Tsonga.
Tsonga set up a match against Filip Krajinovic, who battled past Alexei Popyrin 7-5 7-6 (7-3) in the first round. Krajinovic broke serve from 15-40 down in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Popyrin broke back in the 10th game on his third opportunity in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5. Krajnovic converted his third break point in the 11th game to close out the first set 7-5.
Popyrin rallied from 40-15 down to break at deuce in the fourth game for 3-1. Krajinovic broke straight back on his fourth opportunity in the fifth game. Krajinovic earned two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-3.
French qualifier Gilles Simon battled past his compatriot Lucas Pouille 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-4 to set up a second round against second seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who received a first-round bye. Pouille and Simon traded breaks in the fourth and fifth games. Simon earned four set points to take a 6-2 lead in the tie-break. Pouille saved the first two chances, but Simon sealed the first set on his third opportunity.
Pouille converted his second break point in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Simon broke back in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5. Pouille earned his second break in the 11th game to take a 7-5 lead. The third set went on serve until the 10th game when Simon earned the decisive break to seal the win.
Mikael Yimer took down Corentin Moutet 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. Moutet opened up a 4-2 lead with a break in the fifth game.Ymer broke back in the 10th game to draw level to 4-4. Moutet earned a mini-break to take a 5-2 lead in the the tie-break. Yimer came back by winning the next five points to win the tie-break 7-5. Yimer earned a break in the seventh game to take the second set 6-4.
Pierre Hugues Herbert edged past Peter Gojowczyk 7-5 6-2 to secure a second round match, where he will face Alexander Bublik, who beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5).
Soonwoo Kwon cruised past Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-2 6-1. The South Korean player broke twice in the first set and three times in the third set.
