Roger Federer, who fell to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, says his level of play in particular matches isn’t as important as the final score.
“If you lose in five sets or straight sets or if you play good or bad, at the end of the day you're out of the tournament,” he said. That, to me, is what matters really. I know some people say I only care about how I play and not about the result. I care more about the result than how I played, to be honest, because it gives me another opportunity to play well in the next match. And today I didn't do that, so I'm sent packing home. Which is okay. But it's easier than when you change surface. That definitely helps. You have something else to look forward to.”
Federer added that he did foresee the day his friend Tsonga would become a fine clay-court player. Most of Tsonga’s good results have come on fast surfaces.
“I knew he would be good on clay,” he said. “It was important for him to find his right style. I think today he understood. He understands better the way he should work cross-court, and not to make silly mistakes when you lose in terms of distance and then you're really behind the baseline. He's got to be more aggressive. This year the conditions are such that you can be more aggressive. It’s important is just that he keeps on doing what he's doing, playing offensive tennis, and believe that he can really do it -- not just the semis but also the finals -- and let him be carried by the French support. Then you hope that things fall into the right place.”