Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated fellow Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in the final of the SA Tennis Open.
Top seed triumphs in Johannesburg without dropping a set
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated fellow Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in the final of the SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg.
The top seed needed one hour and 48 minutes to claim his third ATP Tour title following wins last year in Bangkok and at the Paris Masters.
The final result means Tsonga has not dropped a set throughout a tournament which was included again on the schedule after a 13-year absence.
However, he was pushed hard by compatriot Chardy, who had shocked second David Ferrer in a gruelling semi-final on Saturday.
The 21-year-old had battled back from a set down to beat the Spaniard and found himself in need of a similar recovery after losing his serve in the 10th game to surrender the opening set.
Similar pattern
The second set followed a similar pattern and it appeared Tsonga was set to seal victory when he had a championship point on his opponent's serve with the score at 5-4.
Chardy managed to battle back to stay alive - only to then come up short in the tie-break, an error on his own serve at 5-5 giving his opponent a chance to wrap up the victory.
"I did a great job this week and am enjoying this moment," Tsonga said afterwards. "I am very happy to have succeeded and look forward to defending my title next year."
Chardy, ranked number 61 in the world, was quick to praise the champion after falling short in his first appearance in an ATP Tour final.
"I congratulate Jo-Wilfried for a good match and wish him many more successes this year," the 21-year-old said. "It was wonderful to reach the final of an ATP event."
