It’s a shame there had to be a loser after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wins exhiliarating contest against Denis Shapovalov

THERE is no doubt about it. Flamboyant Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and emerging cavalier Denis Shapovalov have produced the match of the tournament, a five-set thriller full of impossible winners and a stunning comeback.

Denis Shapovalov came so close to a boilover against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Picture: AP

FOR purists, there was no doubt.

Flamboyant Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and emerging cavalier Denis Shapovalov had produced the match of the tournament — hands down.

Old bull versus young bull.

Tsonga, 32, would have the last word, triumphing 3-6 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5, despite winning seven fewer points in the match.

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Blasting impossible winners, including tweeners, at each other for the best part of four hours, Tsonga and Shapovalov disputed 313 points.

Almost all of them were of such extreme quality it was a shame the young bull had to take his leave — after leading the fifth set 5-2.

Post-match, there was no self-recrimination, simply confidence the youthful Canadian’s time will surely come.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga jumps for joy after his thrilling victory over Canada’s Denis Shapovalov. Picture: AP

“As much as the loss hurts, I don’t find it as a loss. I find it as an opportunity to learn,” Shapovalov said.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m turning it into a positive. Hopefully next time I’m in this situation, I play things a little bit differently.

“But I’m the type of guy when things don’t go my way, instead of sulking or getting mad, down on myself, I go back on the court and try to work twice as hard so next time when I’m in that position I can hit some good serves, close the match out.”

Polite to a fault, the 18-year-old left-hander deflected the merest notion of criticism into praise for Tsonga, lauding the Frenchman’s audacious “tweener” late in a dramatic contest.

“I was a great get,” Shapovalov said.

“I didn’t think much of it. I mean, it was an unbelievable shot, don’t get me wrong. Yeah, I just refocused the next point. I don’t think it threw me off.

He definitely picked up his level. He started making a lot of good shots. His forehand started penetrating.”

Shapovalov and Tsonga were full of praise for each other after their epic contest. Picture: AP

Tsonga was equally respectful. The theme of a brutal contest lingered into the interview room.

“I think he deserved to win also today,” Tsonga said.

“But I was also courageous and I did my job at the end. I played well. I think I deserve it, too.

“Yeah, was surprising also for me to win this match. But I believe in it, so that’s why I won.

“I was just behind on the score. 5-2 down, you know it’s difficult. But you know it’s only one break.

“If you continue to win your serve, he’s going to have to finish it. It’s never easy to finish the match. To finish a match, it’s not easy.

“Especially when you are young. But there is some young player who can deal a little bit better with this. I think he’s pretty good.”

Tsonga had to pull out everything to beat Shapovalov. Picture: Getty Images

Suffering with a calf issue ahead of a third-round assignment against Nick Kyrgios or Viktor Troicki, Tsonga hopes to recover.

But the old bull is paying a price.

“When your body is hurt, your mind is hurt, too,” he said.

“But, I saw at the end the calf was tight. You go in the heat, it’s tough. It’s tough for me.

“Yeah, next time when I have to play in these conditions, I have to be a little bit more ready than what I did today.”