After their disappointing 1-4 loss to Spain in the Davis Cup semifinals a week ago, the Frenchmen were hoping to turn the tables by perpetuating the local success on home soil in Metz. Two of their finest guns entered the venue, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, seeded one and two, leading the assault. While Gasquet stumbled early on, going out in the quarterfinals after a two sets disposal at the hands of Luxembourger Gilles Muller, Tsonga fared much better. Riding on the kind of form that led him to two consecutive wins over former world number 1 Roger Federer, Tsonga succumbed the stiff resistance of his compatriot Nicolas Mahut in the last eight before getting some much desired revenge over Alexandr Dolgopolov, who caused uproar at the Australian Open in January, shocking the Frenchman in the third round. He also got the better of him at the same stage in Miami, leaving the frustrated Jo stunned at the end of a tight three-setter defeat. This time around though, he was prepared to set things straight, dismissing the bold Ukrainian with a double 6-4.
Having worked his way through to the third final of 2011, Tsonga was determined to make the most of it and capture the first trophy of the season. Previously, he lost the final showdown in Rotterdam to Soderling and at Queen’s to Murray. Cheered by a partisan Metz crowd, he was quick in taking the initiative, capturing the first set 6-3. His opponent, the experienced Croat Ivan Ljubicic fought back to take the second on a tiebreak, leveling the match. Some big hitting and powerful serves from the Frenchman proved decisive in the end, as he clinch the clinical break to serve out the clash.
Having re-established himself as France’s number 1 player, Jo-Wilfried, who is currently 7h in this year’s race, is now looking forward to earning one of the last four available spots for the season ending Championships in London.
photo: Le Republican Lorrain
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