Tsonga Sails Past Berdych For Milestone Victory

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will play for his first ATP World Tour title in 17 months on Sunday at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. The Frenchman knocked out 2014 champion Tomas Berdych on Saturday, ousting the fourth seed 6-3, 6-4 in 72 minutes. The victory also marks a milestone 400^th win for the 31 year old.

After taking the first set with a single break of serve, Tsonga secured another break to start the second set when Berdych made three unforced errors and sailed a forehand wide on break point. The Frenchman cruised the rest of the way, never facing a break point in the match.

Tsonga, a finalist here in 2011, will face third seed David Goffin or French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert in Sunday’s final. It will be Tsonga’s 24^th tour-level final and fifth at the ATP World Tour 500 level. The 6’2” right-hander last captured an ATP World Tour title in September 2015 when he beat countryman Gilles Simon for his third Metz title.

Tsonga fell in the Erste Bank Open 500 final in Vienna last October to Andy Murray, who was on his way to becoming year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.