Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's march through the French Open card has convinced Yannick Noah that he can become the first Frenchman to win at Roland Garros since he himself did so 30 years ago.
Noah, whose straight sets win over Mats Wilander in the 1983 final remains an iconic moment in the modern history of French sports, had been dismissive of home hopes ahead of this year’s tournament saying that the current generation were not up to it.
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But Tsonga’s superb form, which has seen him reach the last four without losing a set, including a straight sets demolition of Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, has led to a rethink.
“What I have seen so far is that he has had a great tournament, very solid, very applied,” the tennis player turned pop star said. “Very impressive and what strikes me especially is the attitude he has.
You can see that he is determined to go all the way. He deserved his win over Federer. He was simply the better player on the day and it’s true we are starting to dream that he can go all the way.”