Djokovic beats Tsonga for third China Open win

BEIJING (AFP) –

Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the trophy after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the men’s singles final at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2012. Djokovic beat Tsonga 7-6, 6-2 to win the China Open for a third time.

World number two Novak Djokovic overcame Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in straight sets on Sunday to win the China Open for a third time.

The 25-year-old Serb defeated the world number seven 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to maintain his unbeaten record at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing and take the winner’s prize of $530,570.

Djokovic has won the China Open every time he has entered, his previous titles coming in 2009 and 2010 before he missed last year because of injury, and his record at the tournament now stands at 14-0.

He is pressing to beat Roger Federer to the year-end number one spot in the world rankings and said he was “delighted” at his latest triumph.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win this trophy in the new stadium,” he said of the capital’s National Tennis Stadium which had yet to be built the last time he won in Beijing.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France returns to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the men’s singles final at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 7, 2012. World number two Djokovic won 7-6, 6-2 to win the China Open for a third time.

Little separated the players throughout the entire opening set. The first four games went to serve before Tsonga made a breakthrough in the fifth game, breaking Djokovic without losing a point.

But the Serb immediately broke back and the next six games went with serve to force a tie break, where Djokovic raced to a 4-1 lead.

Tsonga won two quick points before Djokovic spurned an opportunity while 5-3 ahead, pushing a simple forehand shot well wide.

But two mistakes from the Frenchman, a double fault and a backhand half volley into the net, gave the tie break and set to Djokovic.

The first two service games of the second set were held before Djokovic broke in the third and was spurred on to take the next two games, establishing a 4-1 lead. Then he came from behind to hold serve in the sixth.

Tsonga held in the seventh before Djokovic did the same to take the set and the match in one hour and 41 minutes.

“The first set was really even, and maybe a couple of points decided the winner there,” Djokovic said.

“We served well when we needed to, and I think the realistic thing to expect for the first set was tie break.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France during the men’s singles final at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing. Djokovic defeated third seed Tsonga in straight sets to win the $2.2 million tournament.

“I managed to hold my nerves in the end. He made the double fault that probably cost him the set.

“Then when you’re getting to the second set with the set advantage, mentally it is much more encouraging for you and then you try to play on that confidence run that you have,” he added.

“I made that early break in the second and after that I felt much more comfortable on the court.”

A disappointed Tsonga admitted afterwards that he had let an opportunity slip early in the tie.

“It was a good match,” he said. “I missed maybe something in the first set. I was a break up and I was playing well.

“But then he played solid. It was really difficult to control him. I just tried to play my game, to be aggressive. But against a player like this, for the moment my level is not high enough to beat him.”

The Serb had won his previous five meetings against Tsonga, including three this year. He was ultimately too strong for the Frenchman, who was making his first China Open final appearance and only his third full match of this year’s tournament.

Tsonga, making his fourth appearance at the China Open, started with a tough three-set win over Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin before receiving a walkover against Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko.

He defeated Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2 in the third round and won his semi-final match against Feliciano Lopez when the Spaniard, who was trailing 1-6, 1-4 at the time, retired with a wrist injury.

For his part Djokovic opened with a first-round three-set win against German qualifier Michael Berrer and followed it with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Carlos Berlocq of Argentina.

In the third round, the Serb dispatched Austria’s Jurgen Melzer 6-1, 6-2 before defeating Florian Mayer of Germany in the semi-final 6-1, 6-4.