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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIP


June 21, 2017


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga


London, England

G. MULLER/J. Tsonga

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think went wrong today for you?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: My opponent (smiling.) He just played good tennis. You know, sometimes you cannot do anything, because the guy in front of you is playing well and he's doing the right things to make you play, you know, in a bad way. And that's it.

Q. Is it particularly tough to play a left-hander when you're switching surfaces from clay to grass?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, it's always difficult to play a left-hander, especially on grass. But anyway, you know, I played him few times. He won; I won. You know, it's always close. Before the match, when you go on, you just think about to win no matter what happen. But today he was just too good and me not enough good, you know, to play at this level.

Q. Does it affect your plans ahead for Wimbledon at all?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: No. No, no, no, I really want to go to Wimbledon.

Q. I mean...
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: No, it doesn't affect anything for me. Sometimes you play well; sometimes it's difficult. It's part of the game, anyway. And, yeah, I will consider to practice. I will stay here playing on grass and try to do better next week.

Q. He's obviously got quite a big serve-and-volley game. Is it not annoying but difficult to play against someone like that so early in the grass-court season when you're kind of adjusting?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Not really, because on the grass court you expect to play that kind of player. You know, they wait until this moment to play their best tennis, and Gilles is one of them. When they play on grass, they play better.

For me, it was good to play against him today. It was a real challenge. Unfortunately, I didn't play enough good to beat him, but, you know, it's good. I play two matches here. That's life. I will continue next week to practice and try, like I said before, to play better in Wimbledon.

Q. In terms of your general confidence, you started the year really brightly, and then you had a bit of disappointing result at the French Open and maybe not quite gone as well as it could have gone here. Are you still feeling really good about Wimbledon, hoping to go deep?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: You know, I'm used to be in that kind of position. I won only 15 tournaments in my career and I played maybe 200. Maybe more, I don't know. So most of the time I'm going home with a loss.

So, you know, just used to it and tomorrow will continue, like I said, to practice to be better and better.

Q. I guess a lot of other big names have fallen here. Federer lost his first match on grass. Do you feel with everyone kind of losing it feels really open? Do you feel there will be a big shock at Wimbledon, or do you expect it to be kind of the usual favorites?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, I think the favorites are still the favorite. You have seen these kind of things happen, you know, so many times before, and at the end it's still all the time the same guys. For the moment, I think everybody expect the best guys at Wimbledon.

Q. And particularly, who would you back at Wimbledon?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: I don't know. They're all really good. They all won it, like, twice or more. So, I mean, they are all able to do it.

Q. With Andy going out, does it give you any extra pressure to perform against Muller?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: No, not at all, because I knew before that it's going to be difficult. Gilles is playing well. He just won a tournament.

No, for me the most important was the step, and then I see after that. If Andy lost, it's because he played maybe somebody who is playing well, too. You never know.

Q. You generally are quite well received on these shores with your serve-and-volley and diving style. Do you kind of see Wimbledon as a second home when you come here? Do you feel you get a better reception here than elsewhere around the tour?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: You know, I have a few homes in this world. Every year we do the same tour. We are used to almost every place. I don't know how many times I played the Queen's and Wimbledon, but many, many times. I'm coming here since I'm 17, 18. For me, it's always a real pleasure. First, because it's close to France and it's close from home. It's also a country I like. People are kind with me, you know, here, and they always give me a good welcome. I take a lot of pleasure to be here.

Q. Looking ahead to Wimbledon, is there any particular improvements you want to make in your game?
JO-WILFRIED TSONGA: Oh, I think I have to put maybe a little bit more energy in my game. I think it's going to be better, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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