Tsonga set to miss Davis Cup final

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's 2010 season, and hopes of playing in the Davis Cup final for France and qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, are over after the world No.13 picked up a knee injury

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has pulled out of next month's Davis Cup final against Serbia after a recurrence of his long-standing knee injury, the French No.1 has announced.

"My tendon snapped once again in Montpellier," Tsonga told a press conference in Valencia, adding that the knee needed "six weeks of complete rest."

I could have played by taking loads of anti-inflammatories, but the risk is getting injured for six months," he added. "It's the hardest moment of my career along with pulling out of the Olympic Games in 2008."

Tsonga, 25, aggravated the injury which sidelined him for three months following Wimbledon during the semi-final of the Montpellier tournament on Saturday in the defeat to compatriot and eventual champion Gael Monfils.

The world No.13 arrived in Valencia already aware of his discomfort, and made no secret of the seriousness of the injury.

“I felt something at the beginning of the match,” Tsonga admitted on Saturday.

Tsonga, who was still in with an outside chance of qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, also confirmed he has ruled himself out of the Davis Cup final.

“I do not have the pretension to beat Novak Djokovic or Viktor Troicki in Belgrade if I have not done anything for three weeks,” he had said on Saturday.

Four-time champions France will face final debutants Serbia in Belgrade on December 3-5 2010.

The French team will now be led by Gael Monfils in the singles with Michael Llodra, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon battling for the second spot.