BEIJING - Some people here still remember the 19-year-old qualifier who stole the spotlight from Spanish star Carlos Moya, ousting the top seed in the opening round of the first China Open back in 2004.

If not for a quick rainstorm, it might never have happened.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's dream at that time was simple: Become one of the top 150 men's tennis players in the world.

Seven years later, and the wonder boy from France is ranked No 7 in the world and back in town as the No 1 seed.

Tsonga said the win became a major part of his life story.

"I think it was one of my first tournaments on the tour. I qualified, and then I beat Carlos Moya in the first round," Tsonga said.

"I remember because the match against Moya was supposed to be (suspended due to the weather). I was in my room, and my coach called me and told me, 'You have to come. You are not canceled. You're playing in 35 minutes.

"I was at the hotel, and it was about 30-35 minutes to the courts. I took a (courtesy) car, and during the drive the road was full of traffic.

"When I arrived at the site I was about one hour late. I saw my coach and I asked him if my match was dead and if I was a walkover. And he said, 'No, no, it rained a bit, so they delayed the match for 45 more minutes. So you're playing in 30 seconds.'

"I went on the court and I won 6-3, 6-2.

"It was a really good story for me. Now I'm here after seven years, and a lot of things have happened during that time," Tsonga said. "Yeah, this is the story of my life. China Open is the story of my life."

Tsonga, who was ranked the world's second-best junior in 2003 - trailing only future Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis - reached his career peak in 2008, when he made a steady rise up the ATP rankings to the sixth spot.

He made a splash at the beginning of that year by reaching the final of the Australian Open in the fifth Grand Slam of his career, where he played brilliant attacking tennis while beating the likes of Andy Murray, Richard Gasquet, Mikhail Youzhny and Rafael Nadal before losing a tight four-setter to Novak Djokovic.

That year was also the only time he's played in the ATP World Tour Finals.

He might make his second appearance this season.

After the withdrawal of two-time champion Djokovic and Sweden's Robin Soderling, Tsonga has a good chance to add to his points tally with a strong showing in Beijing in the race to qualify for the finals in London next month.

"I really don't know. I think, of course, I have chance, but it's tough for me to say how much. The schedule is not easy for me," said Tsonga, who clinched the Moselle Open title in his home country last month before heading to Beijing.

"I am not really consistent - sometimes I play really well and sometimes I play bad. So I never know," he said. "Anyway, I will do my best and I hope I will go far in this tournament, and, yeah, I will just enjoy it and try to play my best tennis. Then I will see how much of a chance I have to win this tournament."