Black Tennis Pros

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!!

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.

As if he had done it a hundred times before, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga walked into Rod Laver arena and pummeled Spaniard Rafael Nadal into submission to win the 2008
Australian Open semifinal 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.

After sprinting to the back of his side of the tennis court subsequent to the coin toss, nothing else looked familiar to Nadal. As opposed to running his opponent's tongue out with the left-handed spin he usually puts on the ball, Nadal was the one chasing blazing shots from the other side of the court.

France's latest delicacy commanded last night's semifinal match with the prowess and calm of a seasoned veteran. The difference is that this is the first time Tsonga has ever played this deep into a grand slam event. The 22-year old world no. 38, which he obviously won't be after this event, came into Australia totally under the radar and took out experienced opponents round after round after round. And today, he awaits the winner of the Roger Federer Novak Djokovic semifinal match to set up the final.

"It's unbelievable, three sets, it's just amazing," Tsonga said.

"I don't know what to say. Today I played unbelievable, and nothing can stop me and I am just happy.

"It's like a dream. Every day, this like a dream. I can't believe it's true, just amazing."

South Africa's Jeff Coetzee and his compatriot doubles partner Wesley Moodie were knocked out of the doubles semifinal by the French team of Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra. The score was 6-3, 7-6(11/9).

Well folks, it is done. American James Blake has had his eighth shellacking by Swede Roger Federer and must try again to get to the top of a grand-slam tournament. Federer defeated Blake 7-5, 7-6(7/5), 6-4.

It wasn't ugly though, Blake did what few are able to do, he pushed Federer hard throughout the match. Federer has been pushed before during the Australian Open, and nearly toppled by Serbian Janko Tipsaravic. But only the elite few have had the ability to bring the man of steel down.

"He seems like one of the guys in the locker room," Blake said. "Then you go out there, he beats you. You come back in the locker room and he's one of the guys."

"Playing against James, it's always great fun," said Federer, dressed in all-black again for a night match. "He's dangerous when he's even behind in the game. He made some incredible shots."

I really like Roger Federer and honestly want to see how far he can ride this bullet train. At the same time, when someone like James Blake is having such a great tournament, I really wanted to see him at the finish.

"I really went in thinking I had a good chance to win," Blake said. "I thought I played pretty well. But he came up with some of his best at the right times, and that was the difference."

Ah, c'est la vie!

What the French Toast was that?! American Venus Williams and Serbian Ana Ivanovic put on one of the worst grand-slam tournament matches I've ever seen in my life! I felt like I was moving in slow motion. It was terrible. By the time that match was over I didn't care who won, just make it stop....please!

There is a reality to it and that reality is, after a total of nine double faults, 69 unforced errors and nine breaks of serve, Ana Ivanovic "won" the match, "defeating" Venus 7-6(7/3), 6/4.

Good Grief! Skee Stylus, I'll gladly take the hit for this call.

"I have to give a lot of credit to her," Williams said. "She played really well, made a lot of good shots. She's definitely improved on everything in her game. That's really what it takes at this level. You want to keep improving and playing, because we're all improving."

"And I think Serena and I, we don't have anything to prove. We get out there and we play our best ... I don't get too caught up in what the next person thinks."