By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, February 10, 2019
Wild card Jo-Wilfried Tsonga soared past seventh-seeded Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-4, 6-2, to land his 17th career championship in Montpellier.
Photo credit: Open Sud de France Facebook
Grounded by left knee surgery for seven months last year, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is flying high again.
In an all-French final, Tsonga slammed six aces and did not face a break point soaring past seventh-seeded Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-4, 6-2, to land his 17th career championship at the Open Sud de France.
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The 33-year-old Frenchman raised his 2019 record to 9-2, defeating Herbert for the third time in as many meetings.
Two of those three wins have come on home soil in Montpellier, including a 6-1, 6-2, sweep in the 2017 round of 16.
It is Tsonga's first title since he defeated Diego Schwartzman to win the 2016 Antwerp title without surrendering a set.
The world No. 210 is the lowest-ranked ATP champion since No. 355 Pablo Andujar in Marrakech last year.
These days, Tsong celebrates his victories with a modest bow to fans rather than the trademark jumping Jo celebration that had become his trademark. Perhaps that's because he finally appears healthy after knee and wrist injuries limited him to just six tournaments and 12 matches in 2018.
Energized by his return, an exuberant Tsonga opened the year reaching the Brisbane semifinals and looked like his dynamic self today. Tsonga was not challenged on serve in his 73-minute triumph concluding the week with a tournament-best 63 aces.
Overpowered in the second set, the 44th-ranked Herbert fell to 0-3 in career finals, but will improve to a career-high ranking.
Dictating play with his churning forehand, Tsonga began taking charge and displacing his former Davis Cup teammate from the center of the court.
Herbert pushed a backhand wide to face a second break point in the ninth game.
Reading the wide serve before it landed, Tsonga danced around his backhand looped a forehand return pass down the line, eluding his net-rushing compatriot, to break for 5-4.
Tsonga served out the 38-minute opener at love when Herbert netted a slice backhand.
The reigning Australian Open doubles champion repeatedly tried kicking his serve out wide on the ad side to Tsonga's weaker backhand wing.
On break point, Tsonga was leaning left and lunged off the doubles alley blocking a backhand return pass down the line to break in the opening game of the second set.
The French wild card whipped his fifth ace backing up the break for a 2-0 lead after 50 minutes of play.
Continuing to apply the man from Le Mans carved out a second break for a 4-1 second-set lead.
Tsonga cracked a biting serve that elicited a netted forehand return to close his 17th career title with a respectful embrace for Herbert and a hug for coach Sergi Bruguera.