Simon, Gulbis, Radwanska, Zhang Capture Tennis Titles

Simon Denies Tsonga 3-Peat at ATP Metz

No. 2 seed Gilles Simon denied No. 1 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga a third straight title in the Moselle Open Sunday final in Metz, France, winning the all-French final 6-4, 6-3.
ADHEREL
“I cannot become a father every week. It’s a beautiful story for sure,” said Simon, whose child was born roughly two weeks earlier. “Unfortunately my wife and children couldn’t be here today. It was a great moment for me because I missed the birth of our first child and this time I was able to be there. I was very happy about that.”

It was Simon’s second Metz title and 11th of his career. “Gilles was just better than me today,” Tsonga said. “He’s a great player and he was very solid during the whole match…I’m just coming back [from injury] and I still need some time.”

Gulbis Comes From Set Down to Win ATP St. Pete Crown

No. 6-seeded Ernests Gulbis outlasted unseeded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the final of the St. Petersburg Open in Russia for his second title of the year.

“I’ve been very consistent, especially in finals — I’ve never lost in a final,” said Gulbis, who won the last 11 games of the match. “I’m proud of that record…I’m going to be seeded in Melbourne with these points, so that’s done. Now everything that comes, comes. I have nothing to defend so it’s all good.”

G-Lo fell to 2-3 in career finals.

Radwanska Rallies for WTA Seoul Title

Top-seeded Aggie Radwanska came back from a set down to defeat No. 3-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4 for the KDB Korea Open title in Seoul.

It was Radwanska’s third WTA title of the year and 13th of her career. “Especially after a great match, almost three hours of great tennis at a really high level, of course I’m very happy,” she said. “I was just a little bit better in the important moments today. And at the end of the third set I think I was playing a little bit more aggressively than she was.”

Pavlyuchenkova fell to 5-3 in WTA finals. “I was pretty tired — not only after a few tough matches, but even coming into the tournament after being in the states and the jet lag. So I’m proud to be in the final and come so close to the title.”

Zhang Wins 1st WTA Title at Guangzhou

In the unlikely Guangzhou Open final in China, Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai defeated American qualifier Vania King 7-6(1), 6-1 for her first career title.

“I’m not a person who often gets excited, but today I feel really happy,” Zhang said. “This is the biggest moment of my career. I look at this like a new starting point, not a final destination.”

King fell to 1-1 in WTA finals, and also lost in the doubles final.