Share

Tsonga beats Kyrgios to close on consecutive titles

Marseille - Red-hot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Australia's Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4 on Saturday to make the final of the Marseille ATP tournament and will meet French compatriot Lucas Pouille.

Victory Sunday in the final would mean a career first for Tsonga of back-to-back ATP triumphs and marks a real return to form for the 2016 US Open quarter-finalist.

Last week Tsonga won the Rotterdam title, where he came from a set down to beat the Belgian David Goffin.

"I'm on top form right now so let's see," Tsonga said. "I did what I had to do, it was great tennis."

Kyrgios had his serve broken at 5-4 serving for the set and went down 7-5 in the eventual tie breaker for the first set.

The infamously temperamental Australian was the defending champion and rampaged back to claim the second set 6-2, but a fully determined Tsonga won out with a 6-4 final set.

"I wanted to show him I'd be there for each shot," said Tsonga, who will now climb to eighth in the ATP world rankings.

Pouille thumped another Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, 7-5, 6-3 and had even been leading 5-0 in the second set.

Pouille and Tsonga have only met once in competition, Tsonga winning on the clay at Monaco last season.

"Jo is right back on form and I'm glad to be playing him tomorrow. I'll need to serve well to beat him," Pouille said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE