Swiss star just second man to win both tournaments in French capital
Former world number one Roger Federer won his first Paris Masters title with a 6-1 7-6 victory in the final against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The 30-year-old Swiss third seed became only the second player after Andre Agassi to win titles at Roland Garros and Bercy - the two men's Paris tournaments - thanks to a suberb display over 85 breathtaking minutes.

Federer raced to a 4-0 lead and claimed the opening set in 30 minutes against the sixth seed thanks to his sharp first serve and devastating forehand.

The Frenchman at least made a contest of the second set, threatening to break on two occasions, but it eventually went to a tiebreak which Federer won 7-3 after racing into a 4-0 lead.


Federer Masters Paris

It was Federer's third ATP title of the year after tournament wins in Doha and his home town of Basel last week. It was also his 18th Masters title, second only to Rafael Nadal who has one more to his name.

Tsonga had two break points in the first game but Federer held him off with two first-serve winners.

The Swiss moved 4-0 up after a Tsonga return went wide and a double fault earned him a double break, as a frustrated Tsonga struggled for ideas in front of vociferous support from the majority of a 14,500 crowd.
Chance

Tsonga had a flicker of a chance in the second set, earning a break point in the fourth game with a sizzling crosscourt passing shot, but blew his opportunity by sending a forehand wide.

Tsonga faced a break point in the 10th game but staved it off at the net and the contest went into a tiebreak which Federer won comfortably.

Federer, who had been facing the prospect of failing to win either a grand slam or a Masters title in a season for the first time since 2001, said: "I'm very happy with my performance today. I'm amazed by how well I played.

"I don't think Jo played a bad match. It's good to complete the tournament so solidly."

Tsonga admitted: "I'm a bit disappointed that I have not been able to play better. He was better today. He was just too quick."

Federer will head to the ATP Tour Finals in London next week on a 12-match winning streak, after claiming his 69th career title from 99 finals.

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Istanbul - Petenis nomor satu dunia, Caroline Wozniacki mengawali kiprahnya di WTA Tour Championship dengan kemenangan atas Agnieszka Radwanska. Sementara Maria Sharapova menderita kekalahan.

Menjalani pertandingan pertamanya di Grup Merah, Wozniacki dapat perlawanan sengit dari Radwanska. Sempat tertinggal di set pertama, petenis asal Denmark itu akhirnya bisa menang dengan 5–7, 6–2 dan 6–4.

Setelah dibuat kesulitan oleh Radwanska di set pertama, Wozniacki bangkit di set kedua. Dia berhasil membuat enam kali break sebelum menutup setk kedua dengan keungulan 6-2.

Pada set penentuan Wozniacki mampu langsung unggul 4-2, namun servisnya kemudian mampu dipatahkan Radwanska. Lewat perjuangan berat Wozniacki akhirnya menutup laga dengan keunggulan 6-4.

"Saya sangat gembira bisa memetik kemenangan. Itu pertandingan yang berat di sana. Agnieszka belakangan ini bermain dengan sangat baik. Itu membuat frustrasi karena gagal di set pertama meski sudah mendapatkan tiga kali set poin, tapi saya berhasil menenangkan diri dan melakukan perlawanan," sahut Wozniacki usai laga seperti diberitakan BBC.

Sementara itu dari Grup Putih, Maria Sharapova dipaksa mengakui keunggulan Samantha Stosur. Petenis nomor dua dunia asal Rusia itu menyerah dua set langsung dengan 1-6 dan 5-7.

Setelah tampil buruk di set pertama, Sharapova sesungguhnya punya peluang mencuri set kedua. Namun keunggulan 3-0 yang sempat dia raih gagal dituntaskan menjadi kemenangan.

"Butuh waktu untuk bisa mendapatkan permainan saya. Jelas itu sulit untuk melakukancomeback dan berkompetisi di level ini. Tapi ini sesuatu yang baik karena membuka kesempatan pada diri saya, dan saya melakukan semaksimal mungkin untuk setidaknya berada di sini," ungkap Sharapova mengomentari dirinya yang baru comeback usai mengalami cedera.

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TENNIS chiefs have played down fears that the Asian swing will become the perennial victim of player pull-outs at the end of the season after high-profile absentees at the Shanghai Masters.

The question of burnout was bubbling away again in Shanghai, missing a clutch of top 20 players including Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, taking some of the shine off the high-profile tournament which finished last Sunday.

America’s Andy Roddick said the no-shows from world No1 Djokovic and 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer were stark evidence of the toll put on players by heavy playing commitments.

The Asian swing consists of five events, taking players to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Tokyo and Shanghai. Andy Murray, the winner in Shanghai, made clear last month that players’ patience was wearing thin, even floating the possibility of a strike, although he sought to play down the issue last week.

Despite the weakened field in China, ATP chief executive Brad Drewett remains unperturbed and is convinced that players are still keen to come to Asia even towards the end of a long and arduous season.

"Events in Asia are some of the most prestigious of the year and the players very much enjoy playing here. Typically the fields for the Asian swing events have been very, very strong," he told AFP.

"Top players consistently say how much they enjoy playing here and they mean it. Players are very well treated here and that’s part of what makes playing these events so attractive," he said .

Drewett said withdrawals were not unique to Asia and it was important not to draw sweeping conclusions from just one tournament. "Just last year, eight of the top 10 players played in Beijing and Tokyo (held simultaneously), and Shanghai had 19 of the top 20 competing. You can’t look at playing patterns based on one year alone," he said.

The vast majority of the top players remain based in the US and Europe but while Drewett concedes local stars would help drive the tennis boom in Asia, he said the game was nevertheless making major strides.

"The ATP World Tour has made huge advancements in this region in the last decade and has a bona fide Asian swing with five strong events over three weeks with prize money nearing $8m, and a strong roster of corporate sponsors supporting them.

"This region definitely remains a focus for us. Of course, local stars always help to drive interest and I believe it’s really just a matter of when, not if, China will have a top player on the circuit. You look at (Kei) Nishikori’s achievements ... and it’s just fantastic. He’s already a huge star in Japan and rapidly increasing his profile globally." Nishikori reached the semifinals in Shanghai.

Drewett played down the chances of Asia ever having its own Grand Slam but nevertheless sees the region as a crucial growth area for the game.

"These events in Asia can be significant events on the ATP World Tour by having fantastic facilities, strong support from their governments and commercially from their sponsors and television. The opportunities are endless in this region."

This year’s schedule started with the Brisbane International on January 2 and finishes with the Davis Cup final starting on November 28.

But despite mutterings of discussions over the heavy schedule among players in Shanghai, it was more a matter of talks about talks with no sign of definitive action.

Murray made it clear that none of the players he knew wanted to strike and he had only said it was a possibility, adding they would try to meet before the end of the year. He said it was not a matter of root and branch reform.

"It’s basically just a matter of two or three weeks in the year that really I think need to change."

World No2 Rafael Nadal said the players were generally of one mind. "There is something there but it is not the right moment to talk about it," he said.

But despite the persistent rumblings Drewett is adamant that the players’ views have been taken on board. "The calendar has long been a topic of conversation and just last year we announced that we would be lengthening our off- season by two weeks beginning in 2012, meaning players will have seven weeks in between ATP World Tour seasons."

He said players’ wellbeing was paramount and the ATP had implemented changes such as reducing draw sizes, giving byes to the top eight seeds, and eliminating five-set finals.

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British number three Anne Keothavong breezed into the semi-finals of the Luxembourg Open with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Bibiane Schoofs. 

The world number 93 backed up Thursday's defeat of Ana Ivanovic with a performance of authority against the Dutch qualifier. 

Keothavong dominated behind her serve, producing three aces as well as winning 70 percent of point on her second serve, as she won in an hour and five minutes. 

The 28-year-old will take on Monica Niculescu in her seventh WTA Tour semi-final after the Romanian defeated Lucie Hradecka 6-4 6-4. 

Azarenka through 

Niculescu, ranked 34 in the world, will be a tough opponent for Keothavong as she bids to become the first British finalist in a main tour event since Jo Durie in 1990. 

Top seed Victoria Azarenka moved through with a straight-sets defeat of Iveta Benesova. 

The world number three was inconsistent with her serve, her two aces overshadowed by five double-faults. 

However, the Belorussian prevailed and won 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 17 minutes. 

Azarenka will now meet Julia Goerges, who progressed when her opponent Anastasija Sevastova retired with the German 5-2 ahead in the first set.

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