Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has admitted he "didn't play well" against Fabio Fognini last night, despite taking victory and progressing to the second round of the Rogers Cup.

The Frenchman, 26, beat his Italian rival in straight sets but was not pleased with his performance.

"It was not a really good level from me," he told reporters afterwards. "I didn't play, you know, really well. But today I did the most important [thing], which was to win."

Tsonga said "an ear problem" caused by exposure to air conditioning meant that he struggled to move around on the court.

"It was difficult to have a good balance," he explained. "I caught a cold a few days ago because of air conditioning and my ear gets plugged sometimes. In that case I can't hear from one side and I have the impression I'm losing my balance on the court, so it bothered me a little bit."

Tsonga now goes on to face Bernard Tomic in the second round.