Djokovic laments illness, Tsonga rejoices

Melbourne: Novak Djokovic was lamenting a case of gastroenteritis after he lost his Australian Open quarter-final to France`s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Serb had just won the third set to take a 2-1 lead and Tsonga looked deflated before Djokovic left Rod Laver Arena after he told chair umpire John Blom he needed to vomit. While he managed to return, his game melted away and Tsonga ran out a 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory to set up a semi-final against Roger Federer after the Swiss came from a set down to defeat Russian Nikolay Davydenko in four sets. "It was unfortunate that I couldn`t perform on the level that I wanted to in the fourth and fifth set," Djokovic told reporters. "I don`t want to find excuses for my loss, but, you know, I went to vomit and I had diarrhoea before the match.” "After two games (of the fourth set) I had to go to the toilet. I couldn`t hold on. There was no way, otherwise I would throw up on the court. ... Just a terrible feeling." Djokovic said he was unsure as to what had caused the sickness as he had not eaten anything out of the ordinary. It had made him become dehydrated and fatigued, he said. "When you lose a lot of fluids and your engine ... stops working, that`s how I felt," Djokovic said."Very bad with my legs in the fourth, and especially in the fifth set. I wasn`t able to run him down at the baseline, and that was the major problem.” "You know, he was serving well and just got a confidence boost to be aggressive. It was unfortunate." Tsonga said Djokovic`s illness was just part of the game. "Sometimes it happens," he told reporters. "There are some problems, but I think this is the game. Sometimes you have problems with your forehand, sometimes you have problems with your backhand, sometimes your body. You never know what can happen. "He had problems with his stomach ... Bad luck for him and good for luck for me." Tsonga said he had not been concerned after Djokovic took the lead into the fourth set."When you are 2-1 down you just think there is a fourth set and I have to play and give everything and maybe I can win because the game is not finished," he said. The 24-year-old said he realised the challenge ahead of him on Friday against Federer was a steep one. "I have to play my best tennis. Roger played unbelievable again today. Nikolay was in good shape, so it will be tough," he said. "But like today I will give everything and we will see." Bureau Report