France's Tsonga reaches ATP China Open final

BEIJING (AFP) –

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga of France hits a return to Feliciano Lopez of Spain during their men’s singles semi-final match at the China Open tournament, in the National Tennis Center in Beijing, on October 6. Tsonga won 6-1, 4-1 after Lopez retired due to injury.

Third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France marched into the final of the China Open on Saturday when Spain’s Feliciano Lopez retired during the second set of their match.

The world number seven thrashed Lopez 6-1 in the first set and was 4-1 up in the second when the left-handed Spaniard called it a day, citing an injury to his left wrist.

“I played really well and I felt really good on the court,” Tsonga said. “I didn’t know before he was a bit injured. I’m just happy today with my game.”

The Frenchman has enjoyed an easy progression to the final of the Beijing tournament since needing three sets to overcome Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in the first round.

The 27-year-old received a walkover in the second round after Nikolay Davydenko withdrew and beat Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets in the third.

“During this week my level has got better and better,” Tsonga said.

“I have played maybe some of my best tennis here. I haven’t played like this in couple of months and maybe a couple of years now and that’s why I think I can win the final tomorrow.”

Serbia’s world number two and top seed Novak Djokovic meets Germany’s Florian Mayer in the second semi-final on Saturday.