Black Tennis Pros

Madrid, Spain - Unseeded Aravane Rezai upset Venus Williams to claim a straight sets win the final of the Madrid Open.

Frenchwoman Rezai, 23, earned only her third career title after defeating fourth seed Williams 6-2, 7-5 in one hour and 41 minutes at La Caja Magica.

Despite the loss Williams is set to return to second place in the world rankings for the first time since 2003 following her run this week, while she also won the women's doubles title at the Madrid Open with sister Serena on Saturday night.

Rezai, who won in Bali and Strasbourg last year, swept aside Williams during a superb first set in which she broke her opponent in the third and seventh games before serving out to love to take the upper hand.

It was a convincing start by Rezai, but she needed to dig deep during the second set to stage a remarkable fightback.

Williams, who had a 12-1 record on clay coming into the match, looked to be cruising towards levelling at one set all as she built a 5-2 lead and then, after Rezai had got back to 5-4, earning five set points on the Frenchwoman's serve in the 10th game.

However, Rezai saved all of them and, with the momentum behind her again, she broke Williams in the next game before serving out to win the match and the title.

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Q. What are your thoughts after the match? What are you thinking?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Lot of things. I'm very proud of myself. I'm happy for Novak, because he played unbelievable today. I don't know if I have to be sad or happy of this final, but I feel great.

Q. What was your feeling coming in? Were you nervous at the start of today's match?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No, no, no. I was okay. Like every day. Very relaxed. I don't know what say. I think Novak played very good today, and it was tough.

When you have a match, you have one player and one opponent, and you don't know who's gonna win. At the end, all the time you have a winner. So today was Novak.

Q. Now that you've been in the final, how hungry are you to be back in a final again?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: It's just unbelievable because the crowd was unbelievable. A lot of noise and everything. I had frisson (goosebumps). It was crazy (smiling).

Q. You seemed quite happy about the amount of time he was playing between points. You mentioned it to the umpire. Do you think it's fair the gap between points?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, sometimes, you know, when you have to return, you are like this (ready). When your opponent take a lot of time, you go for be ready, and after not, and you are like this (back and forth). When he serves, you are not ready because you are like this (back and forth).

It's very difficult. Between points you have like 25 seconds for play. When it's 40 seconds, the umpire have to say something, you know.

Q. How does it feel to be in the top 20?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Pretty good (smiling).

Q. Does this give you the confidence now to maybe break into the top 10?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, of course, of course. Not everybody can beat player who I beat. So I know Richard or Youzhny or Rafael, they are very good player. And beat them, it's very difficult, and I did it, so...

Of course, I'm confident now.

Q. How good was it having your mom and dad fly over for the match?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: For me it was very important, because one of the dream of my father, it was to come here, and I did it, so it's good.

Q. It was a dream for him to come here to see you play?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah.

Q. How long has he been speaking about that?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Since a long time. I don't know. I cannot say the time. Maybe since I play tennis

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I will be online at 3:30 a.m. throughout the Tsonga vs Djokovic final. If you're going to stay up and watch the match live, grab your coffee and meet me online. Just click on the comments and join in. Don't get the good info second hand!

UPDATE: The match between Tsonga and Djokovic was wonderful, but it was greatly heightened by the company of Blogpassion, FyreStarrter, and FeFe. These friends joined me for the final and we had a great time. I know that it was late, buy you all hung in there, thank you very much friends!!

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At 3:30 a.m. eastern time Sunday on ESPN2 (rebroadcast at noon), we should see one of the best tennis grand slam finals that has ever been broadcast. Both players, world no. 38 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France and world no. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia earned the right to stand on the surface of Rod Laver arena in this 2008 Australian Open Final. What an incredible match this will be.

Here is the transcript of Tsonga's pre-final interview*:

Q. Have you gotten Nadal out of your mind by this time and moved on mentally?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, I think at the final, yeah. It's finished now.

Q. Did you watch last evening?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah.

Q. Did you watch the whole match or just a little bit?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah.

Q. What are your thoughts on Djokovic being there tomorrow against you?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: I don't know. He won yesterday. He played well. It's never easy to beat Federer. We will play tomorrow at the final, and it's going to be a big moment of sports.

Q. What are the main differences between facing Nadal and facing Djokovic?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: It's the same, no? It's the same, because Nadal is 2 in the world and Djokovic 3, so both of them won a lot of tournaments and they have more experience than me.

I know it's going to be difficult, but I'm here and ready for that.

Q. Do you feel any differently now than you did before the first round playing Andy Murray? Are your nerves any different? Is your concentration any different? Is your composure any different?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No. I try to keep the same way. I try to approach this match like the other one.

Q. Have you had much of a chance to see any of Melbourne or do any sightseeing? What's your opinion of Melbourne?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: My opinion of Melbourne? It's a nice city. I feel great here. I have a lot of good things in my head here. I'm happy to be here.

Q. Have your parents arrived yet?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: They arrive Sunday at the morning, tomorrow morning.

Q. Can we go back to that week at Surbiton just before Queens which your coach says was such a big changing week for you when you had to play the challenger tournament and get across and play qualifying as well. What do you remember about that week?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: About this week?

Q. No, at Surbiton.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: When I played the challengers?

Q. Yeah.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: It was not very different. It's all ‑‑ it's you. You're here, and when I played challenger it was not. So there is no difference play a final in challenger or here for me. I try to be the same.

Q. But that same week was the big week of Roland Garros and you were in a different country at a small little tournament. What did you feel like? Were you determined to maybe next year at the same time be at Roland Garros rather than Surbiton?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yes, it was special for me, because of course Roland Garros is big event for me and for all French guys.

I was sad to ‑‑ of this situation. But now I'm here and maybe I will be seeded this year, so it was a good choice for me.

Q. It's Australia Day today. Do you plan to do anything typically Australian: Have a beer, go to a barbeque?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No, no, no.

Q. Since your semifinal win how have you stayed relaxed and stayed calm?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Just stay in my room at the hotel, practice, and that's it.

Q. You try not to think about all the media and the different things that people want from you now that you've reached the final?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No, no, I don't think about it. It's normal. You have to write on me, and I know my life so I don't have to read it in the paper.

Q. What movies do you watch or music do you listen to to relax in your hotel?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Everything.

Q. What in particular?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Everything. I won't say something in particular.

Q. You seemed to enjoy the atmosphere the other night in the semifinal. Does a big crowd help your game a lot?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah. It help me because I like that and I'm good ‑‑ I feel good in this atmosphere.

Yeah, it does for me.

Q. Do you find it surprising how much the crowd got behind you the other night in the match?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Not really, because all match before the people was clapping for me. So, no, I was not surprised.

Q. And it helps you improve your game, to take it to another level, playing in front of such a...

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, I think.

Q. Do you feel that your life has changed in this last fortnight, the expectation on you and what you have achieved?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yes, of course, a little bit. It's not a chance for everyone to be in final at the Australian Open, so of course it change a little bit.

But me, I try to stay the same person.

Q. Do you have any sense of how France is reacting? I understand that in Belgrade they're going crazy. Are you getting any feedback that the French public are really into what's happening here?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, of course, of course. I'm just proud of that.

Q. Why have you played so well this tournament?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Why?

Q. Yeah, why? Clearly this is your best tournament. What's been the secret?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: I don't know. Because maybe I don't want to play bad.

Q. What happened last year?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Last year was different. It was a different year. It was my first year on the tour. This year's my second and I have more experience and, yeah, so I play better.

Q. Your nickname is Ali, and people liken you in looks to him. Have you ever watched any videos of his fights or have you watched any movies about him? Is it an ambition of yours maybe to meet him?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Yeah, of course, I watch some DVDs. My father was at the fight at Kinshasa because he's from Brazzaville. He took some photos, so I have some souvenir.

Q. So he's been an inspiration to you since you were a child?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No, no, no. Maybe more now than when I was child.

Q. Can you believe you've made the final of a Grand Slam so quickly in just your second year on the tour?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: No, I not believe it, but I'm here and I have to do it.

Q. What do you have to do to win tomorrow night?

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Just play ‑‑ just do my best, and that's it. I will see what's happened on the court, but I will do my best. If I win, that's unbelievable. And if I lose, I did my best, so no problem.

Q. Sorry to get back on Muhammad Ali. But say in your words why Ali is an inspiration to you now.

JO‑WILFRIED TSONGA: Maybe his personality on the court. Maybe I think I have the same tennis as his box.

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