| BACKGROUND |
| Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is probably the host nation's most popular player of the moment. A run to the final of the Australian Open 2008 and a victory at last year’s BNP Paribas Masters in Bercy sealed his status as France’s sweetheart. But Jo is still a novice at Roland Garros, having been knocked out in the first round of his only singles appearance to date, three years ago. | Julien Benneteau loves Roland-Garros. He has already put in two brilliant performances on home clay, making the last eight in 2006 and the last 16 last year, with three 5 set victories in the process. Those stats will certainly boost his confidence for the upcoming head-to-head, even if the fans will not be entirely behind him for once. |
| CURRENT FORM |
| The clay season has been disappointing for Tsonga so far, but it should not be forgotten this is in fact his first full season on the red earth. He has therefore only won a handful of matches on the surface and appears to be literally finding his feet. The upside, of course, is that he comes to Paris fresh and ready for the challenge. | Julien Benneteau was lost in a sea of doubt before a morale-boosting run in Kitzbuhel recently. A lucky loser, he battled all the way to the final, recovering his taste for success and combat. That can only bring him encouragement prior to this high-profile first round match. |
| STRENGTHS |
| Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is an explosive mixture of enthusiasm and talent. His serve is undoubtedly his best weapon, closely followed by his forehand. A spectacular attacking player, he is never stronger than when he manages to keep rallies short. | Julien Benneteau, in contrast, does not really have any one strong point that stands out, but is a very complete player. Blessed with an excellent return of service, he is good at the net and solid at the baseline. He has no real weaknesses, other than a forehand that can be shaky at times. He is very fit and moves around well on clay. |
| TACTICS |
| The No9 seed will no doubt play an attacking game. He will have to serve well, but must also power home some winning forehands. It remains to be seen how his backhand will hold up. Above all, Tsonga will need to show some progress in his footwork which, despite his protestations, still causes him some problems. | Will Benneteau have recovered from his final in Kitzbuhel? He may have had two rest days, but the defeat to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez after a long match (3hrs 14min) will no doubt have taken its toll. The Frenchman knows he has the ability to beat his compatriot though, and his return of serve may turn out to be the deciding factor. |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| The two men have faced each other on three previous occasions. Tsonga won their first duel, at Wimbledon in 2007. | Julien Benneteau has notched up wins in his last two matches against his countryman, in Miami and in Lyon in 2008. |
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Julien Benneteau
