ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP)—Top-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to successfully defend his title at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament on Sunday.
Soderling broke Tsonga’s first service game to take an early 2-0 lead but the eighth-seeded Frenchman broke Soderling in the fifth game before firing three successive aces to level at 3-3.
Soderling broke again in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead and then served out the set.
Bidding to end a 15-month title drought, Tsonga recovered in the second and forced another break before four straight aces gave him a 5-2 lead. Aided by ferocious groundstrokes and a strong service game, Tsonga clinched the second set.
Soderling earned another break to take a 5-3 lead in the deciding set, serving an ace to wrap up the win.