Montpellier (AFP)
More than a year after his last match on the circuit, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (66th worldwide) missed his return to the courts on Tuesday, sharply beaten 6-4, 6-2 in 1 h 12 min by the American Sebastian Korda (92nd) in the 1st 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 1st 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.
While waiting for the return on Tuesday of another seriously injured French tennis player, Lucas Pouille, two other Tricolors were in contention on Monday during this 1st round: one, Hugo Humbert (32nd), moved to the 2nd round by dominating the Slovak Norbert Gombos (93rd) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), the other, Hugo Gaston (162nd), fell, beaten by the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (36th) 6-3, 6-7 (7 / 9), 6-1.
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