 Photographer: Virginie Bouyer
Date: 20 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Virginie Bouyer
Date: 20 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Virginie Bouyer
Date: 20 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Virginie Bouyer
Date: 20 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Virginie Bouyer
Date: 20 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Virginie Bouyer
Date: 20 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Virginie Bouyer
Date: 20 Sep 2009 |
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| 20 Sep 2009 - MECC, Maastricht - Michiel de Hoog - NED v FRA | |
| Tsonga sees French home |
France is back in the World Group of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Thiemo De Bakker 76(5) 62 36 76(4) in the fourth rubber of the Play-off tie against Netherlands, sending the French 3-1 up. By winning all of his three matches, Tsonga played a big part in France setting the record straight after its opening round loss against Czech Republic in March.
The fourth set tiebreak summed up the game nicely. At 3-2 up, Tsonga broke De Bakker’s serve, only to concede two mini breaks himself, whereupon he decided the match by again taking both points of the De Bakker serve. “I’m happy and relieved’, said Tsonga. ‘Thiemo played very well and made me work hard for a lot of points. But fortunately, I had enough right answers.’
Tsonga: tiebreak master
De Bakker was impressed with how Tsonga raised his game in the tiebreaks. “He was great in the tiebreaks, in fact in all the tiebreaks this weekend. He won all of them. That’s where top players play their best tennis. I have to try to copy that to keep my progress going,” said de Bakker.
The match between the countries’ No. 1s was the best match of the tie. The first was contested at a high level, with De Bakker aggressively going for winners and Tsonga serving excellently, hitting seven aces. “I think I was the better player in the first set – just,” said de Bakker. “But then I missed this forehand.”
‘This forehand’ being a straightforward forehand from well inside the court, which de Bakker hit in the middle of the tramlines. It was his worst shot of the match at perhaps the most important point: 5-5 in the tiebreak. A throw of his racket and a huge Tsonga serve later, the set was gone. “By winning the tiebreak, he also won the second set,” de Bakker reflected ruefully.
Tsonga takes charge
Indeed Tsonga, who had played a solid percentage game until then, visibly loosened up, stepping into the court and marched on to go 4-0 up, eventually taking the set 6-2. “But at the end of the second set, De Bakker was playing better again, so I knew it was not over yet,” Tsonga commented afterwards.
De Bakker raised his game once again, by power of will more than anything. To the delight of the home crowd, he took the third set 63 and was equal to the world’s No. 7 in a tight fourth set, with the match reaching a high level again and with both sets of fans matching their players’ efforts by creating a true Davis Cup atmosphere.
This was now everyone’s match, with Tsonga, spurred on fanatically by Gael Monfils and Michael Llodra in particular, looking exasperated at times, and de Bakker visibly enjoying the occasion, exchanging broad smiles with his captain Jan Siemerink and the audience when he held serve to love to go level at 55 in the fourth.
In a rollercoaster tiebreak, Tsonga converted his first match point at 6-4, leaving de Bakker thinking of what might have been. “I think I might have been more fit for the fifth set than he was. But again, he was excellent in the tiebreak, not gifting me anything,” said de Bakker.
Related Links on other websites
> Information in Dutch
> Info en francais- FFT
Related Links on Daviscup.com
> Tie Information
> Scorecards and statistics from the tie
> Audio interviews from the tie
> France back on track
> France draws level in Maastricht
> De Bakker opens up for the Dutch
Related Audio
 Interview with Thiemo de Bakker (NED) - day 3
Interview with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) - day 3
Interview with captain Jan Siemerink (NED) - day 3
 
If you cannot hear the audio, then please update your media player by following one of the links above.
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