Huffing and puffing didn't help Jo-Wilfried Tsonga blow out the candles, but he produced enough pyrotechnic power to extinguish Philipp Kohlschreiber. Tsonga celebrated his 27th birthday in style today, erasing all six break points he faced in a 6-2, 6-4 second-round win at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Despite the straightforward scoreline, it wasn't a completely convincing win for the world No. 5. Enduring some ebbs and flows in concentration and shot-making, Tsonga played well in spurts, but he was assertive on the break points and never lost the lead.
Returning to the scene of his four-set Davis Cup defeat to John Isner earlier this month, Tsonga saved two break points in the third game, then squandered two break chances in the fourth game. The man from Le Mans has a near 50-pound weight advantage over the slender German and imposed his power advantage in forehand exchanges. Tsonga hits a heavier ball and backed Kohlschreiber up behind the baseline, only to pull the string on a drop shot that set up a forehand winner for double break point. When a framed forehand return fell into the corner, Tsonga ran around his backhand and roped a forehand winner down the line to break for 4-2.
Earning double break point in the following game, Kohlschreiber, who makes an extreme grip change from his one-handed backhand to his western forehand—and can be vulnerable to the body serve as a result—failed to put a return in play on the first chance, then saw Tsonga save the second with successive volleys. Tsonga closed the 34-minute first set with an angled smash; he hit 15 winners compared to his opponent's five in the opening frame.
The 28-year-old Kohlschreiber, who lost in straight sets to Tsonga in Miami last month, was 1-6 when losing the first set this season. He saved two break points in his opening game of the second set, then settled in, winning 12 of his next 14 points on serve. It went on serve to 5-4, when nerves constricted the right arms of both men. Kolschreiber's backhand is his signature shot, but he scrawled an unsightly error off that wing to hand the Frenchman match point. The ensuing 17-shot rally saw Tsonga defending with his backhand until Kolschreiber flattened a forehand into net, ending a one hour, 25-minute match that offered its share of hits and misses.
A festive crowd that included golfer Rory McIlroy and former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo serenaded Tsonga, singing "Happy Birthday" while the video screen above court displayed virtual candles. Tsonga will try to prolong the party in the third round as he takes on former finalist Fernando Verdasco. The pair have split two prior meetings, both contested on hard courts.
—Richard Pagliaro