Tsonga Seeks Second Marseille Crown Against Berdych; Spaniards Ferrer, Lopez Also In Finals
Two of the games biggest power players will clash in the Marseille final Sunday when Tomas Berdych squares off against 2009 champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Their path to the finale, fairly similar at least for today. Tsonga ousted his countryman Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-3 while top-seeded Berdych crushed qualifier Dimitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-1.
“I wanted to step on the court and be strong, because you never know what could happen with him,” said Berdych. “I was focused from the very first point… Finally, I’m able to play well here. I came here many times but I didn’t do well. I still have one more to go, so I want to finish in the best possible way.”
Berdych seeks a ninth overall ATP title, Tsonga a 10th, 5th in France. But Berdych has beaten the Frenchman four of five times including three wins last year.
Tsonga saved five matchpoints in a win Friday over Bernard Tomic.
A pair of Spaniards will be bidding for Sunday titles in the Americas. In Memphis, Feliciano Lopez will meet Kei Nishikori for the US Indoors trophy.
“He is a great player, he’s in very good shape,” Lopez said of Nishikori. “I think it’s going to be a tough match, he’s very fast-moving all around the court and I have be aggressive and play my best tennis if I want to win.”
Lopez turned away Denis Istomin in three sets. Nishikori advanced when his opponent, Marinko Matosovic, retired after losing the first set with a foot injury.
In Buenos Aires, Spanish No. 1 David Ferrer is making the most of his 2013 clay debut. The World No. 4 easily bested countryman Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-2. He’ll meet Stanislas Wawrinka in the Sunday final after the Swiss upset No. 2 seed Nicolas Almagro.
Two women’s titles were handed out on Saturday. In Dubai, Petra Kvitova won her 10th career crown topping Sara Errani 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 in a topsy-turvy title bout.
“I’m glad how I’m playing right now – that’s the important thing for me,” said Kvitova who led Serena Williams 4-1 in the third last week in Doha. “I’m not thinking this is a turning point or a turning tournament for me. Yes, it was a lot of great players here and it was hard to beat them, but I’m still just thinking about my game. That’s the priority for me.”
In Memphis, Marina Erakovic claimed her first career WTA title. Erakovic won the first set over Sabine Lisicki 6-1 before the teary-eyed German abruptly retired at the start of the second.
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