Tsonga wins Vienna title to improve in tear-end race

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Tsonga wins Vienna title to improve in tear-end race

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga battled to beat Juan Martin Del Potro 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 in the Austrian Open.

31 October,2011 02:54 am

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga improved to seventh in the race for the ATP year-end championships with a battling 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Juan Martin Del Potro to win the Austrian Open on Sunday.The first Frenchman to claim the title started the week knowing that he could only add to his season points total for the World Tour Finals by reaching the title match.Despite losing the first set in three of his four matches at the Stadthalle, thats exactly what the ninth-ranked Tsonga accomplished as he capped his effort in a two-and-a-half hours win over 2009 US Open champion Del Potro.Its special to win my seventh title here, said Tsonga.I knew I could only gain points for London if I got to the final. I did it in the end and Im glad. Im extremely happy.I was tight at the start and down after losing the tiebreaker. But I stayed tough and didnt give away any easy points.Tsonga and his Argentine opponent now move on to Valencia for next weeks ATP event with both still fighting for places in the year-ender from November 20.Del Potro will climb to 11th in the points chase as well as stand 11th in the rankings as he returns this season after missing eight months of 2010 with wrist surgery.