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Tsonga didn't look bad considering his first match of the year

Monfils defeated Krajinović only in the third set tie break. Tsonga offered only one break ball in three sets, and considering the long absence, the conditions, and the kind of his opponent, Jo can be happy

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Some players need a lot of time to get back to tennis they want to play after an injury. Some, like Sock, just continue where they stopped when they got injured. So, we had to wait and see how Tsonga will react. The French didn't play a single match this season, the conditions here aren't exactly easy, and Smyczek knows how to get the best out of the opponent's mistake. It wasn't an ideal matchup for Tsonga. However, he reacted well. Especially when you know it was his first match this season.

Even though it took him three sets to get the win, Tsonga offered only one break-ball, lost his serve only once, and that decided the second set. He didn't give anything to Smyczek in the first and third, and deserved to win.

What's important is that Tsonga scored 11 aces, and had 74% second serve points. Of course, there were moments when it was obvious he didn't play for a long time, but also moments when he had to save himself with his serve or forehand, or combination of the two. Considering the circumstances, it's a positive beginning for Tsonga who'll definitely feel better as the time goes on. All he needs right now is playing more matches.

- I didn't expect to play my best tennis today, but I'm happy with the way I managed my match. I played pretty solid, I just had a little hole in the second set. It's normal when you didn't play a couple of months. I hope it's going to be better and better - Tsonga said and added:

- It was a little bit about me in the second set because I gave him maybe free points. But anyway, he's a good fighter. He's running everywhere. It's not easy to win points, especially when there is a lot of wind like this. You cannot play close to the line. That's why it was difficult today. 

Tsonga is right, and we said so at the beginning of this preview. These conditions, windy as they are, aren't doing any favors to players who are too aggressive. Whoever hits hard, that hit usually ends a meter behind the line. Patiently playing rallies won't lead to a big number of unforced. So, a match in three sets and allowing only one breaker is definitely a good result for Tsonga. Still, what matters most is this:

- My arm is feeling better. I'm really happy with that. I hope it's going to continue - Tsonga said. He'll face Monfils in the third round:

- It's always special to play a good friend. But we both know on the court there is no friends - Tsonga said with a smile. 

Monfils is often a friend to those across the net. Not many can give away so many free points as Gael can. He can be moody, but when he's in the mood to play, he's great. It's hard to say what it was in the second round against Krajinović, but judging by the final result, it shows he won in the third set tie-breaker. 

Even though Tsonga is the main news here because of his comeback, Monfils is still injured. He missed the Indian Wells because of his knee injury, but like we said, he's always injured, so this second round result isn't really to be commented through that.

Even though Gael got the break in the first set first, he lost four games in a row afterwards. At one point, he had a double break, and didn't give anything to Krajinović, and it seemed he could have won, but no, he likes drama. However, since there was no broadcast, it's hard to tell what exactly happened on the court. What's sure is that this wasn't one of his best performances.

Tsonga and Monfils are friends, but when it comes to being friends on the court, Jo's got an advantage. Tsonga won five out of six duels played against Monfils. They didn't face each other last year, though. What's important to mention, too, is that all those Tsonga's wins were in straight sets.