WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND — As fans gathered in Centre Court and around the giant video screen at Wimbledon’s famous hill to watch Tim Henman polish off a five-setter that evoked memories of Wimbledon past, a man who might have a bright future here won his debut match on Court 7.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pound 22-year-old born in Le Mans, France, to parents from Congo (his father, Didier, a chemistry teacher and former international handball player) and France (his mother, Evelyne, a school teacher). He has a muscular frame, curly hair, and wears a diamond stud in his left ear. His baby face and striking features have been compared, not inaccurately, to Muhammad Ali. His tennis is electric.

Tsonga was the no. 2 junior in the world in 2003 when he defeated Marcos Baghdatis (then at the top of the junior rankings) in the final of the junior U.S. Open. He climbed close to the top 100 in his first year as a professional, in 2004, when he scored victories over Carlos Moya and Mario Ancic. Then Tsonga injured his back, and later his knee, though he never needed surgery — a fact that his coach, Eric Winogradsky, described as a blessing and a curse.

“Sometimes surgery is better,” Winogradsky said yesterday as he scouted Tsonga’s next opponent, Nicolas Lapentti. “In this case, you just have to wait.”

Lately, Tsonga hasn’t needed much patience on the tennis court. Since March 19, he’s played 30 matches and won 28 of them. In that span he won a Futures tournament (the lowest level on the tour), four Challenger tournaments (the next level up), and two rounds at Queen’s Club two weeks ago, including a 7–6(5), 7–6(2) victory over former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, one of the best grass court players in tennis (Hewitt advanced to the second round of Wimbledon yesterday).

Tsonga’s winning streak followed a decision to skip the clay season in favor of hard court and grass tournaments, which better suit his game. His victory over Hewitt earned him a wildcard into the main draw, and now that Andy Murray, the no. 8 seed, has withdrawn, Tsonga might well reach the third round or better.

Tsonga hit many highs, and a few lows, in a nervous match against countryman Julien Benneteau. He screamed after being broken when he attempted to serve out the first set, prompting Winogradsky to shout, “Positive!” He won the first set in a tiebreaker and then dropped the first four games of the second set. Within moments, he had regained control and won the set 7–5. He wavered on his first chance to serve out the match, but prevailed on his second, 7–6(4), 7–5, 6–4. Winogradsky said Tsonga’s grit during important points pleased him immensely.

“They were both tense and nervous and they didn’t play their best tennis today,” Winogradsky said. “If you want to be a really good player you have to win matches in these conditions. I told him that he was really strong mentally.”

American fans might remember Tsonga from this year’s Australian Open, where he swiped a set from Andy Roddick in the first round, before losing. He’s quick around the court and never bashful — when Tsonga has a chance to let his forehand fly, he doesn’t hold back. His serve, which often reaches 140 mph, is his best weapon. There’s no speed gun on Court 7, but Benneteau’s reaction to a few aces that bounced off the scoreboard told the story. Benneteau would move an inch, stare blankly, and then walk to the other side of the court. Tsonga served nine aces in all.

Big serve, big forehand, twohanded backhand: Sounds like a classic (that is, boring) player taught at some oversize tennis factory that doesn’t care much for the subtleties of the game. Tsonga is not that kind. He volleys frequently and quite well (he flummoxed Benneteau with a few delicate backhand volleys) and has a complete bag of trick shots, from lobs, to fullswinging forehand slice drop shots, to between-the-legs line drives. At times, he’s riveting.

Winogradsky doesn’t worry about Tsonga when he’s confident and swinging freely. It’s the other days, the average ones tennis players have more often than not, that Tsonga needs to work on, he said.

“If you beat Hewitt, Moya, Ancic, it means you are a good player,” he said. “His medium level is still his ranking [no. 110]. It takes time to join the higher level.”

I met Tsonga in the hallway of the press area after his match. He initially expressed worries about speaking in English: “It’s gonna be tough,” he said. But as it turns out, he had undersold his ability. He spoke about his sister, Sasha, who works in Paris, and his younger brother, Enzo, a 16-year-old who’s already two inches taller than Jo-Wilfried and a top talent in basketball. He said the last several weeks have boosted his confidence.

“I just feel healthy and I’m just happy to be here,” he added.

If Tsonga remains healthy, he won’t be unknown to tennis fans for long. He might receive a lot of attention on Friday, in fact. If he and Henman win today, they will meet in the third round, most likely on Centre Court. Tsonga wouldn’t be the fan favorite at the start, but don’t be surprised if his dazzling skills inspire a loud send-off, win or lose.

“Tennis is a show, and for me I feel very good to know people like me,” Tsonga said.

***

“Why is it flying ?” Venus Williams asked early in the second set of her first-round match yesterday after she sprayed a backhand long. She looked exasperated as she stared in the direction of her sister and her mother, Oracene Price. Serena, wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, responded, “Stay low. Stay down. Look at it.” She barely looked up at her sister as she sent text messages on her mobile phone with the dexterity of a black jack dealer.

Venus prevailed against Alla Kudryavtseva, a 19-year-old Russian playing her first match at Wimbledon, 2–6, 6–3, 7–5. Venus’s father, Richard, had some advice for future rounds: “She’s going to have to reposition her thinking, she’s got to come forward. She’s going back even on her own serve.”

tperrotta@nysun.com