Tsonga Powers To First Group B Win

© Getty ImagesJo-Wilfried Tsonga improved to a 53-23 match record on the season.

Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won his first match in Group B at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory over eighth seed Mardy Fish in 90 minutes.

The Frenchman improved to a 53-23 match record on the season, highlighted by lifting two ATP World Tour titles at the Moselle Open in Metz (d. Ljubicic) and the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. Tsonga hit six aces, 33 winners and converted five of 11 break point opportunities.

"It's really good to win for the first time here," said Tsonga. "Today I started better, even if he broke me back in the first. But I played well today. I have felt really good on the court. When I'm very aggressive and I put lot of pressure on my opponent, I'm able to play with everybody."

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Both players made anxious starts, with three straight service breaks. Tsonga took a 3-1 lead, but was broken a second time to 30 when serving for the set at 5-4. Tsonga took a 3-1 lead in the tie-break, when he drew Fish to the net before whipping a forehand winner down the line. He maintained the two-point advantage and finished with two unreturned serves to wrap up the first set in 53 minutes.

Tsonga, who improved to 25-17 in tie-breaks this year, hit 21 winners and six aces. While Fish, adopting an attacking approach, won nine of 17 points at the net, hit 16 winners and eight errors.

DEUCE Magazine: Tsonga - The Pugilist | Fish - Lean, Mean & Very Keen

Fish broke serve to 15 in the first game of the second set, but Tsonga responded immediately with some solid returns. Fish mis-directed a forehand volley to find himself in a hole at 15/40, then Tsonga's showcased great athleticism to lunge for a forehand volley winner down the line. In the fourth game, Fish fell to 15/40 but clawed his way back to deuce with two angled volley winners. Tsonga made it third time lucky for a 3-1 lead, at advantage, by hitting a backhand return winner.

Tsonga maintained the momentum he had build up, dictating baseline rallies and putting away mid-court balls. He broke Fish to 15 for a 5-1 lead, with his ninth passing stroke of their second meeting (also 2011 US Open). Minutes later, Tsonga converted his third match point opportunity.

When asked how he would approach his next match against Roger Federer, Fish admitted, "I feel like I can win. I felt like I could win both the matches I already played, and I didn't. But, I mean, you're going to have to pry me off the court to not be able to compete in an event like this. I worked very hard this past year, these past two years [and] made a lot of sacrifices. These are the rewards, playing in an event like this. That's why I say, it's very disappointing, to not be able to play at the level that I would like to play at."

Fish, who will be 30 on 9 December, qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the first time this year, which marks the 25th consecutive season (since 1987) that an American has competed at the year-end championship. He has a 43-23 match record and is a 3-8 against Top 10 opponents in 2011.