Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has given Norway's eighth-seeded Casper Ruud a run for his money in a tight French Open first-round battle, but predictably headed into a tear-jerking retirement with a 6-7(6) 7-6(4) 6-2 7-6(0) defeat.
The Frenchman, whose career had been hampered by injuries in recent years, fought for almost four hours, before bowing out in tears.
The court Philippe Chatrier crowd gave him a standing ovation, as the 37-year-old knelt on the red dirt, unable to put up more of a fight because of shoulder pain - the latest in a series of physical problems that saw the former world No.5 drop to 297 in ATP rankings.
Tsonga - one of only three men to beat Rafael Nadal, Novak Dokovic and Roger Federer when each was world No.1, and an Australian Open runner-up in 2008 - had not won a match on clay in almost three years and there was no miracle this time, despite a solid opening set.
The match started in front of a sparse crowd, as most of the corporate seats were empty around lunchtime, a recurring pattern at Roland Garros, where the food often trumps tennis.
Tsonga held firm, delighting fans with some well-executed drop shots, as he made the most of his opponent's early nerves.
The volume finally increased, as the stands filled up after coffee time, and Tsonga bagged the opening set, after a tense tiebreak.
He saved break points in the fifth game of the second set, but yielded under pressure in the tiebreak and it appeared he would bow out quickly, after being overwhelmed in the third.
Backed by a buoyant crowd, Tsonga broke to love for 6-5 in the fourth, but Ruud levelled to force another tiebreak.
Tsonga had the physiotherapist on for a shoulder problem and he could barely serve in the tiebreak.
Once his ordeal ended, Tsonga, who won the 2017 Davis Cup with France, was greeted on court by all his former coaches and his parents wearing a 'Merci Jo' t-shirt, as well as his children.
Former Davis Cup teammates Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils also came onto the court to embrace him.
"It's great day for me - the day when I say goodbye to my long-time companion," Tsonga told the crowd. "I've never looked back, but now is the time to do it.
"I want to thank all the people who helped me achieve my dream of becoming a professional tennis player.
"Thanks to the French tennis federation and all my coaches who supported me, even when I was extremely silly. I managed to be good amid the best generation of players and I'm happy about it.
"You have been an inspiration to me and many others," said Ruud, 23,who was nine, when Tsonga beat his idol Nadal on his way to the Melbourne final.
Reuters
