(Reuters) – A look at the records of Japan’s Kei Nishikori and France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before their second-round match at the French Open on Wednesday (prefix number denotes seeding):
FILE PHOTO: Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – May 27, 2019. France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reacts after winning his first round match against Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
KEI NISHIKORI
Age: 29
ATP Ranking: 7 (Highest ranking: 4)
Grand Slam titles: 0
2018 French Open performance: Fourth round
Best French Open performance: Quarter-finals (2015, 2017)
Nishikori kicked off his French Open campaign with a routine 6-2 6-3 6-4 win over French wildcard Quentin Halys.
In a mixed bag build-up to the tournament, Nishikori reached the semi-finals in Barcelona but suffered early exits in Madrid and Monte Carlo.
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA
Age: 34
ATP Ranking: 82 (Highest ranking: 5)
Grand Slam titles: 0
2018 French Open performance: Did not play
Best French Open performance: Semi-finals (2013, 2015)
Tsonga began his French Open campaign with a 7-6(4) 6-1 4-6 6-3 victory over Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk.
It is the home favorite’s first trip to the second round at Roland Garros since 2016, as he did not compete here last season and lost in the first round in 2017.
After missing the majority of last season with a knee injury, Tsonga showed signs of rediscovering his best form during his title triumph in Montpellier in February.
Head-to-head: Nishikori leads 5-3
2016 Tsonga d Nishikori 0-6 6-3 7-6(3) (Paris, hard)
2016 Nishikori d Tsonga 6-4 6-2 6-4 (Australian Open, hard)
2015 Tsonga d Nishikori 6-1 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-3 (Roland Garros, clay)
2014 Nishikori d Tsonga 6-1 4-6 6-4 (Paris, hard)
2013 Nishikori d Tsonga 1-6 7-6(4) 7-6(7) (Paris, hard)
2013 Tsonga d Nishikori 7-6(5) 6-0 (Shanghai, hard)
2012 Nishikori d Tsonga 2-6 6-2 6-1 3-6 6-3 (Australian Open, hard)
2011 Nishikori d Tsonga 6-7(1) 6-4 6-4 (Shanghai, hard)
Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris