Tsonga beats Kyrgios to close on consecutive tennis titles
Red-hot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Australia's Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4 on Saturday to make the final of the Marseille ATP tournament and will meet French compatriot Lucas Pouille.
Victory Sunday in the final would mean a career first for Tsonga of back-to-back ATP triumphs and marks a real return to form for the 2016 US Open quarter-finalist.
Last week Tsonga won the Rotterdam title, where he came from a set down to beat the Belgian David Goffin.
"I'm on top form right now so let's see," Tsonga said. "I did what I had to do, it was great tennis."
Kyrgios had his serve broken at 5-4 serving for the set and went down 7-5 in the eventual tie breaker for the first set.
The infamously temperamental Australian was the defending champion and rampaged back to claim the second set 6-2, but a fully determined Tsonga won out with a 6-4 final set.
"I wanted to show him I'd be there for each shot," said Tsonga, who will now climb to eighth in the ATP world rankings.
Pouille thumped another Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, 7-5, 6-3 and had even been leading 5-0 in the second set.
Pouille and Tsonga have only met once in competition, Tsonga winning on the clay at Monaco last season.
"Jo is right back on form and I'm glad to be playing him tomorrow. I'll need to serve well to beat him," Pouille said.