Tsonga Eyes Capitala World Tennis Championship Title

17 Dec, 2009

Frenchman hungry to build on a successful 2009 season starting with silverware in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, UAE : Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the charismatic French number one, will always be remembered for the way he burst onto the scene in the Australian Open in 2008.
His swashbuckling performance took the then 22-year-old all the way to the final and thousands of adoring Australian fans along with him for an unforgettable ride.

Tsonga didn't win the Aussie Grand Slam that year, but he did announce his presence as a world-class player and a serious contender to win the top titles.
The Frenchman will arrive in Abu Dhabi for the Capitala World Tennis Championship later this month with exactly that in mind - winning.
In October this year he won his fifth career ATP World Tour title in Tokyo, defeating Russian Mikhail Youzhny in the final to end the season in the top 10 for a second year in a row.
Finishing among the world's best once again is something he is proud of, but he knows there is so much more to come.
"I would love to win in Abu Dhabi and make the best possible start to the season by beating the world's top players," Tsonga said.
"I had a great year but I would love nothing more than to win some big titles in 2010 and push hard for another shot at a Grand Slam."

Tsonga captured a career-high three ATP World Tour titles and he won more than 40 matches during the season. He reached the quarter finals or better in eight of 15 tournaments in the first eight months of the season.

He will be looking to build on that momentum in Abu Dhabi and advance through to a possible re-match with world number one, Roger Federer, once again.

Tsonga beat the Swiss master in the semi finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Montreal, winning a third-set-tie-break after recovering from a 1-5 deficit in the final.

But with the likes of world number two Rafael Nadal, Russian dynamo Nikolay Davydenko, world number 8 Robin Söderling and rising star Stanislas Wawrinka all lined up for the star-studded event, Tsonga will have his work cut out.

"It's a great line-up for this tournament and I can't wait to arrive in Abu Dhabi and take them on."

"I've heard some great reports about the tournament and it's going to be a fantastic way to build up for the Australian Open."

The Capitala World Tennis Championship will see three days of spectacular tennis from December 31st, 2009 - January 2nd, 2010 at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex, Zayed Sports City. Tickets are still available at www.boxofficeme.com and from selected Spinneys outlets. Prices start from just AED65. As well as an action-packed centre court, the event will also play host to Tennis Village. Open daily from 10:00am and free to non-ticket holders, the interactive village has something for all the family including the Speed Serve challenge, Batak machine, player autograph sessions and much more.