Novak Djokovic topples Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to capture title – China Open 2012
Top seed, Novak Djokovic from Serbia, got the better of the French top ranked star, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, in straight sets at the China Open 2012 on Sunday. He notched up a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory against the third seed to capture his fourth year-to-date title
at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 Series event held in Beijing, China.
The former world number one showed flawless performance to outsmart Tsonga for sixth straight time. He needed one hour and 42 minutes to extend lead in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head Series by 6-0 against the 27-year-old and captured his third straight title
in Beijing.
Djokovic stated in an on-court interview after conquering this event:
“I think the first set was really even, and maybe a couple points decided the winner there… I managed to hold my nerves in the end... I made that early break in the second [and] I felt much more comfortable on the court.”
Ranked second in the world, Djokovic made a sloppy entry at the National Tennis Center. He suffered the first blow in the fifth game and went 2-3 down. However, the Serb not only snatched his break back in the very next game but remained calm, eventually
dragging the set to a tie-breaker. He prevailed in it and pulled out the opener with a 7-6(4) win.
The 25-year-old maintained consistency in his game in the final set. After breaking Tsonga’s serve twice, he jumped to a 5-1 lead. Djokovic plucked his serve once again and clicked the set with a 6-2 win.
The Serbian number one is unbeaten at this outdoor hard court tournament and is eyeing to return here next month.
“I am planning to come back to the China Open next year. It's been one of my most successful tournaments. This is where I love to play. I love the conditions and, as I mentioned before, I have lots of support from the fans who are very loyal and very nice.”
With this victory, Djokovic recorded his 40th hard court victory this circuit. He also gained 500 ATP ranking points and pocketed $530,570 in prize money.
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